Crush
by DR. COFFIN
Summary: Victoria Mandragore is in a family of super villains and loves Will Stronghold. This is the story of how love can truly conquer all, especially with a little help from the bad guys. WillOC, WarrenLayla.
1. Chapter 1

Hello.

This is the reposting/redo/whatever of the first chapter in what was supposed to be a little one-shot that introduced a "villainess" who appears in my Sky High 2 script who falls in love with Will and vice versa, setting the stage for the inevitable Warren/Layla pairing we've all been wanting without lovable Will getting hurt…well, emotionally anyway.

But it sure didn't end up that way. People wanted more. I then realized that I could and should do more, especially when the Mandragores started slipping their way into some of my other stories.

When I got the DVD to "Sky High" and watched the hysterical alternate opening, I knew I needed to do a "flashback/alternate opening" scene to better introduce Barnabas and Lucretia as well as my versions of Baron Battle and Angelica Peace. Note that these would be the "Disney" versions of these characters as opposed to my "main" works (which can get a little emotionally intense).

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it, and please let me know what you think of the whole story.

I would also like to sincerely thank everyone for reading my stories and giving such wonderful reviews and feedback. It means the world to me.

**Prologue:**

Maxville: 1992

"You were right dear," said Dr. Barnabas Mandragore to his wife Lucretia as they gently tapped their crystal champagne glasses together in a toast, "there's nothing like a stroll through downtown Maxville on a Saturday afternoon with friends."

Dr. Mandragore and his wife of four years were not exactly strolling, but were actually seated in two comfortable chairs at the control panel of a monstrous five-story tall mechanical scorpion, the tail of which was a laser cannon destroying the cars on the street it was lumbering down.

While the citizens had fled in panic, the friends Dr. Mandragore referred to were having a good time; Rockabilly used the power of his sonic pulse guitar to shatter the storefront windows while Blowhard created an F5 gale that pulled everything of value out of the stores, blowing it down the street to be collected in a huge net that had been strung up by the Harpy, who flew about and cackled at the riches they were taking. Black Ice was content to simply freeze the iron bars in front of jewelry stores so they shattered like crystal as she smashed through them to help herself to the displays of gems. A nearby delicatessen exploded outward as the monster Tyrannosaur lumbered out, his arms full of cold cuts.

"Mmmm…kielbasa," he happily growled as he munched on his prizes.

"I do wish dear Stitches could have joined us, it just doesn't seem the same without him," said Lucretia as she sipped her champagne. She always enjoyed his capering and high-pitched giggling while the others did all the work, but he had seemed to go into retirement after Royal Pain had apparently been destroyed a few years ago.

"I offered to let Nanny watch his little girl for him so he could enjoy some time out of the house," said Dr. Mandragore, "but he was stubborn about it. I'm just glad King Kamayamayhem didn't show up…he always makes such a horrible mess."

Suddenly the entire scorpion lurched violently. Dr. Mandragore pulled out his gold pocket watch and opened it.

"Ah, right on time," he said matter of factly as he got out of his chair, replaced his watch, and went to look over the protective railing to see what was going on below.

Sure enough there was the Commander, holding one of the scorpion's enormous pincers closed as he violently wrenched it off with a groan of twisted metal and smell of burned wiring.

"Our guests are here," said Dr. Mandragore to his wife, "it's show time."

He returned to his viewing to see that the Commander was now joined by someone Dr. Mandragore knew all too well; Baron Battle. The two muscle-bound buffoons were engaged in another of their adolescent contests to see who could do more damage to the metal monster the quickest, but Dr. Mandragore had a say in it this time.

The scorpion's laser cannon stinger was brought to bear, firing on the two men. Though it blew a monstrous hole in the street, neither of the two heroes so much as flinched in the face of the attack. That was when a streak of white and blue flew down, grabbed the Commander and brought him up to eye level with Dr. Mandragore.

It was the flying heroine Jetstream, holding her husband as he tried to look dramatic and imposing…at least as much as a man could when his wife is holding him under his armpits in midair.

"Dr. Barnabas Mandragore," said the Commander, "you and the rest of the Evil Eight are hereby ordered to stop your criminal rampage and surrender yourselves for immediate incarceration."

Dr. Mandragore withheld from asking the Commander if he had bothered to count (or actually COULD count) and see that there were only SEVEN villains present. But it was to be expected; he and his friends had been fighting the Heroic Six for so long everyone was actually on a first name basis.

"Would you also like me to pull this rampaging engine of destruction over to the curb while I'm at it?" he asked instead.

"Well, yes…that would be nice." The Commander responded.

"Dear," said Dr. Mandragore, "could you give him our answer?"

Without hesitating, Lucretia raised her hand and unleashed a bolt of green lightning that flew past the Commander and continued on.

"I'm afraid your aim is off," smirked the Commander.

"My dear Commander," smiled Lucretia, "who said I was aiming at YOU?"

The bolt continued on until it hit a nearby building, where it ricocheted back and struck Jetstream in the back, shocking her. She went stiff in pain, then began falling, taking her husband with her. On their way down the Commander got under his wife and caught her so that he landed feet first, smashing up to his knees into the street below. Of course he wasn't hurt, but he was definitely stuck until he could put his groggy wife down and wrench his legs free.

"Excellent shot dear," Dr. Mandragore complimented his wife, "I can't believe he actually "fell" for it."

It was then that the unconscious form of Tyrannosaur slammed down onto the deck a few feet away from Dr. Mandragore.

"You do know we have leash laws in this town, Barnabas."

The smile instantly vanished from the evil scientist's face, replaced by a snarl as he recognized the deep bass voice behind him. With a dramatic pause he slowly turned and glared up at the hero who was his archenemy.

"My dear Baron," Dr. Mandragore hissed between his clenched teeth, "I was wondering when you would show up."

"I thought you and Lucretia had retired from your old ways," said Baron Battle as he floated in the air, every inch the stalwart hero in his silver and blue armor.

"Old habits die hard," said Dr. Mandragore, "let's see if YOU die any easier!"

Dr. Mandragore gestured dramatically.

And nothing happened.

For a moment Dr. Mandragore held his pose, but then realized that his wife hadn't yet unleashed a mystic barrage against the hero. He took a moment to cast a quick glance over his shoulder to see what she was waiting for.

She wasn't there.

Totally forgetting Baron, Dr. Mandragore turned around and looked frantically for Lucretia, as she NEVER missed a cue, then he saw her.

She was on the other end of the platform, with Baron's wife, the super heroine Angelica Peace. But they weren't fighting.

They were showing each other baby pictures.

"That is adorable," said Lucretia, looking at pictures of Angelica's son having his first haircut while Angelica was cooing over pictures of the Mandragore's boys; Marduke destroying his birthday cake with his laser vision and Balthazar making the cat's fur stand on end with his electrical touch. She especially loved the pictures of their new baby daughter.

"Dear," called Dr. Mandragore to his wife.

"He has his father's dark eyes," smiled Lucretia.

"Dear!"

"Now how much did he weigh, he's certainly big for his age."

"DEAR!"

Lucretia finally looked up and in her husband's direction with an annoyed expression on her face.

"Hello," he reminded her, "we're in a major battle between good and evil for the fate of the city…remember?"

"Yes, yes," said Lucretia, making a shooing motion with one hand, "we're busy now dear. You boys go off and play."

She then turned back and continued looking at pictures.

"You know Josie has some new pictures of their little boy Will," said Angelica.

"Really? Oh, I wish I'd known that before I zapped her."

"Don't worry she's fine. She's got them in her utility belt. Let's go."

"Allow me," said Lucretia, and with a gesture both women vanished to reappear on the street next to the recovered Jetstream, and all three women began their baby picture fest.

It was then that Dr. Mandragore realized he was alone. Except for the hulking, armor clad hero now standing behind him.

"Oh go ahead," said Dr. Mandragore as he slightly slumped, "we both know you're going to anyway."

With a grin Baron Battle brought both mighty fists smashing down through the deck and into the workings of the scorpion where he unleashed an energy bolt that disintegrated several key components of the machine. With a screeching squeal the scorpion stopped, then shuddered. Finally it began to fall.

Dr. Mandragore looked over and saw that the last two members of the Heroic Six had rounded up his friends who had fallen by the hands of the Commander and the others before they had turned their attention to the scorpion robot. Black Ice, Rockabilly, Blowhard and Harpy were all thoroughly bound by Dr. Night's black energy constructs while his former sidekick now wife Stargleam had joined the other women with her own pictures of their little boy Zach.

Though the ground was rushing towards him, Dr. Mandragore was not worried. He had done this stunt too many times to not know that one of the heroes would rush to his rescue at the last second to save him from his own folly, and then he'd go into his prepared speech involving "revenge" and "next time". This one he was especially proud of, and was eager to start the show.

Any time now.

He was wondering what pose would look best; defiant and tall or hunched over and snarling. For this one defiant would be best, as his voice would carry and he knew everyone would appreciate it better.

ANY TIME NOW.

It was when he was a mere ten feet away from the ground that Dr. Mandragore realized that Baron and the Commander were talking about something and had apparently forgotten him until the first parts of the monster machine began smashing into the ground with a deafening crash.

Dr. Mandragore regained consciousness for a few moments, just long enough to hear the Commander.

"Gee Baron, I thought YOU were going to catch him."

Before he blacked out again, one thought went through Dr. Mandragore's mind.

"I am surrounded by morons."

* * *

**CRUSH**

_**Chapter 1**_

"**Mommy's Alright, Daddy's Alright**

**They Just Seem A Little Weird"**

"Surrender"

by Cheap Trick

Victoria Mandragore is a super villainess.

Actually, that part is technically not true. Not yet, anyway.

Victoria is the only daughter and second youngest child of Barnabas and Lucretia Mandragore. Her "mad scientist" father had now retired from committing crimes and now created all sorts of bizarre creatures, monsters and weapons he sold to other villains. While Lucretia was still a powerful sorceress formerly known as the Shadowitch, she had given up attempts at world domination, preferring to have a nice castle on a private island, a loving husband who occasionally stuck his head out of his lab, and raising members of the next generation of evil doers.

So far their oldest son Marduke was preparing to graduate with complete dishonors from H.A.D.E.S., the Head Master's Academy for the Development and Education of Super-villains. Their second son Balthazar had preferred to get more "in the field" and "hands on" experience and had went straight to being a freelance villain called Mr. Paine. After Victoria, who was about to begin high school, was their youngest son Loki, a precocious little eight year old who had already proven he was ready to follow in his father's footsteps of monster making when he genetically crossed spider monkeys with real spiders and created horrible little creatures he unleashed at a birthday party held for the young daughter of one of father's colleagues. The little beasts totally destroyed everything they didn't cover with sticky webbing, and were the hit of the social season.

Now Victoria made her way through the vast halls of Mandragore Castle, an imposing edifice that sat atop a cliff surrounded by constantly storming skies above and raging seas below. She was dressed in a flowing black gown that definitely did not go with the steel-toed black boots she wore, but that was the last thing anyone would have noticed about her.

Victoria was fourteen years old and had super strength. Unlike most girls, or even boys in her age and with that power, it was painfully obvious how strong she was, because she weighed nearly 300 pounds and her muscles bulged like those of a heavyweight bodybuilder. This did not detract from her cute face, complete with deep blue eyes, a scattering of light freckles across her cheeks that gave her a pixie look, and a flowing mane of silky black hair she had pulled back into a ponytail and braided with strands of copper wire. To say she stood out in the crowd was putting things mildly.

She was humming a tune as she entered the main dining hall where she found her parents having breakfast. Daddy sat at one end of the long marble table, sipping espresso laced with arsenic as he perused one of many morning papers, looking for articles about crimes that may have been committed with one of his devices or one of his patented creations being used to battle some super hero. Such articles were always cut out and kept in one of a countless number of scrapbooks; Daddy had gotten very nostalgic for the old days and Mother thought this would keep him out of trouble. Mother herself sat at the other end of the table, looking like she was in a trance but actually she was communing mentally with one of many spies she had placed in strategic locations near any super hero hot spots. It had been one such report that had led to the situation Victoria was in now.

"Good morning," said Victoria, as she approached the table, looking over the selection of breakfast items. There was ham, eggs either scrambled, hard-boiled or poached, jalapeno laced sausage, freshly baked bread and a variety of preserves and butter to spread on it. She looked it over, and then started piling all of it onto one huge plate as she began noisily eating at the same time.

"Good morning dear," answered her mother as she came out of her telepathic conversation, "and please do sit down before you begin eating. That is very unladylike."

Victoria rolled her eyes but still did as her mother said, sitting down before she continued gorging on the food. One drawback to her strength was that she was nearly always hungry, and had to eat constantly to maintain the nearly nuclear level metabolism she had.

"Now then," her mother said, "how are you this morning?"

"I'm in love," said Victoria between mouthfuls of food.

"Excuse me, dear?"

"I said I'm in love mother."

"Oh," said Lucretia, totally unprepared for those words, "and who is this wonderful boy? When did you meet him?"

"I haven't met him yet," answered Victoria as she drained an entire gallon of milk in a few hearty gulps.

"And just how do you know you DO love him, dear?"

"Oh, I know all about him," said Victoria as she finished her meal and daintily wiped her mouth with a lace napkin, "I've been studying up on him ever since I first heard of him."

"Ah," smiled Lucretia, "did you hear that Barnabas? Our little girl is in love."

Barnabas gave a very uncommitted grunt and continued reading his papers.

"So," continued her mother, "what's he like after all your investigating?"

"Oh he's WONDERFUL," began Victoria, getting a starry look in her eyes as she began on what had become her favorite subject of late. It was then that both her parents

remembered that for all her strength she was still a young teenager who had led a somewhat sheltered life as the princess of this criminal family.

"Princess," said Barnabas, "I know you are about to gush endlessly about this boy, but I have to tell you that if your break into a show tune Daddy is going to stick his head in the nearest disintegrator and turn it on."

"Barnabas," scolded his wife, "do be quiet and let her continue. Go on dear."

"I first heard about him after reading one of your reports, the one transmitted by that robot cat that you had planted in the house of the lady who lives next door to the lunch lady at Sky High."

"Hmmm. Yes, I think I remember that one…the one about the fight that broke out in the cafeteria a couple of months ago. Go one."

"Well, he was in the fight and…"

"No," said Lucretia, her eyes growing wide, "do you mean…?"

Victoria nodded.

"Dear, did you hear that? Our little princess has a crush on Warren Peace."

"Mmm-hmm," responded Barnabas as if he had just been told it was raining outside.

"Mother…" began Victoria.

"Oh, I hear he is QUITE the head turner all right," said Lucretia, "all that leather and torn denim…so tall and dark with that unruly hair…just like his father…"

"Mother…" Victoria said again, trying to cut her mother off.

"And that bad temper…plus throwing fireballs around and jumping right back up after getting put through concrete walls. They didn't build them that tough back when I was your age dear."

"Mother…" Victoria was losing control of the conversation.

"Now dear," said Mother, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "I know he's not REALLY bad, he's just been misjudged and misunderstood for a long time. I know he's a hero, and that's just fine with me. Our kind falling for the good guys…especially the dark ones…is a fine tradition going back decades. Still, if he can keep up that wonderful "brooding dark prince" persona…oh, just like his father…we can slip him under Daddy's radar and…"

"MOTHER, IT'S NOT WARREN PEACE!" Victoria struck the marble table, cracking the six-inch thick slab like thin glass.

That got Lucretia off her diatribe, but Barnabas simply changed newspapers and kept reading without looking up at the thunderous sound.

"Don't get me wrong," said Victoria, "he IS cute, and he's got these beautiful flame tattoos on both wrists…"

"Tattoos? Any piercings as well?" asked Lucretia.

"Well," smiled Victoria, lowering her voice, "I don't know if it's true, but I heard…"

"Yes?" Asked Lucretia, leaning in to hear.

"His navel and BOTH nipples!"

Lucretia slapped the table and threw back her head to cackle madly, a sound which echoed throughout the halls of the castle.

"Ah, that the boys had the courage back then!" She said after her laughter ceased. "But if not him, dear, who is it?"

"The OTHER boy who was in the fight," smiled Victoria, her cheeks actually turning pink at the thought of him.

"Other boy…other boy," Lucretia was trying to remember the details of that particular incident. It was very hard as she had reports coming in constantly from various sources, and it had been a few months ago. "I'm sorry dear, I just can't remember who that is."

"Oh Mother," said Victoria, "he's Will Stronghold."

The spit take Dr. Mandragore did would have matched the spray of a breeching whale. Espresso, arsenic and saliva flew at least ten feet to spatter across the top of the marble table. A little cleaning drone appeared and began to wipe up the mess as Dr. Mandragore gasped and sputtered like he had a chicken bone caught in his throat crosswise.

Both women looked at the display for a moment, then continued.

"So," said Lucretia, "tell me about him."

"Well," beamed Victoria, "he's REALLY cute, with reddish hair and a cute little smile."

"What's his power?"

"He's super strong, just like me, but he's not as big. He's kind of skinny actually."

"Oh, puberty will take care of that dear. Once the right hormones get triggered after his strength kicks in he'll probably be the size of a small house. That's the way Baron Battle was…one day a pencil neck geek the next day…BOOM…Mr. Olympia."

"Mom," said Victoria, "why do you keep going back to Baron Battle? I thought he was Daddy's enemy…at least when he was a hero."

"To be honest dear," Lucretia paused to make sure her gasping husband would not hear the rest, "I had the HUGEST crush on him back when he went to Sky High and I went to H.A.D.E.S.; we met at a school mixer and while all the other girls were drooling over the Commander-to-be I zeroed in on him. Quite the dancer he was, and could he sing! I watched his performance in Sky High's production of Oklahoma through your grandmother's magic mirror, and he had my heart from then on."

"But you were enemies," said Victoria, confused.

"Oh Victoria," smiled Lucretia as she patted her daughter's leather gloved hand, "don't you know that ninety percent of the villainesses who fight one male hero exclusively do it for ONE reason?"

"Ohhh," said Victoria, her eyes opening wide as she understood.

"Unfortunately Baron was NOT that perceptive. He went on and married Angelica Peace and…well, the rest is history."

Lucretia went silent for a moment, and Victoria knew why. Her mother was thinking about what had happened when Victoria herself was very young.

"I'm sorry dear," smiled Lucretia, "I was…just thinking about something. Please, do go on about this Will boy. You say he's super strong?"

"AND he can FLY." answered Victoria.

"Fly as well? He's a dualist? That's wonderful dear!"

"He's also…"

"HE'S THE SON OF THE COMMANDER AND JETSTREAM!"

"Oh look dear, your father IS alive after all."

Dr. Mandragore had finished his near death experience and clamored to his feet to put an end to this nonsense once and for all.

"Do you mean to tell me that my daughter…MY DAUGHTER…is in LOVE with that scrawny little mama's boy? That…that…"

"He is NOT a momma's boy," replied Victoria, "he single-handedly defeated Royal Pain at the Sky High homecoming dance!"

"Oh," said Lucretia, "THAT boy. Oh, well no wonder you like him dear. Royal Pain is a rather tough customer, not in the league of…well, you know who, but still no push over."

"Phah!" sneered Dr. Mandragore, "let's see HER build a molecular destabilizer out of a couple of spoons, some copper wiring and a cordless drill WITHOUT her little "technopathic" powers! Now where did her fancy powers get her? A jail cell made from a single piece of concrete with bars made of polished teak wood and ceramic bathroom accessories! No radio, no telephone, no metal, plastic or silicone of any kind! But I digress…"

"I'm sorry dear," Lucretia said to her daughter, "but Daddy's been a little overdo for a tirade and I'm afraid it's going to be about this."

Victoria could only roll her eyes and sit back in her chair. She HATED when Daddy went off on one of his "maniacal super villain" rants. They were legendary even amongst the other evil geniuses, and Dr. Mandragore had been asked by the Head-Master of H.A.D.E.S. to come give a lecture about being able to do such ridiculous theatrics. It seemed that villains did it mostly for show, but it was also very therapeutic and cleansing when their tempers were overwhelming their rational thought processes while planning some dastardly deed.

"WHAT were you THINKING?" began Dr. Mandragore, "To fall in love with a super hero…"

"He's not a hero YET Daddy," said Victoria.

"Oh ho, he WILL be," replied Dr. Mandragore, "it's literally in his blood. He's only a freshman and he already rooted out three wannabe villains, defeated Royal Pain, AND caught Sky High and kept it aloft long enough for Royal Pain's sabotage to be undone! If that doesn't SCREAM "look at me, I'm a super hero" I don't know what would!"

"Alright, he'll be a GREAT superhero," Victoria said, "but I still LOVE him!"

"LOVE? What do you know of love, child?"

"Barnabas," said Lucretia, "Victoria has made up her mind and I think she should go ahead and at least meet this boy. What harm could there be in that?"

"WHAT HARM?" shrieked Dr. Mandragore like someone had dropped a handful of ice cubes down the seat of his pants, "Suppose she does meet this…boy, and they do hit it off? Will he invite her over to his house for dinner? Oh, I'd love to see that buffoon the Commander and how he'd act around our little girl. All posturing and flexing, giving long-winded speeches…"

"Like you are, dear?"

"I do NOT give long-winded speeches," denied Dr. Mandragore, "I make my point clearly and decidedly. Anyway…where was I?"

"I was over at Will's house and his father was acting like you."

"Ah, exactly. Now…wait a minute. No, no, no, you have TOTALLY missed my point…"

"Alright Barnabas, enough,"

Those words from his wife instantly quieted the literally mad scientist, but he still fumed for a moment then continued.

"I forbid you to have ANY contact with that Stronghold boy outside of school functions or in a totally professional capacity."

"Like if I'm robbing a bank and he comes along to stop me?"

"Yes."

"And we get into a fight?"

"Yes."

"And I accidentally hit him in his lips with mine?"

"Yes. No, wait a…what?"

It took every bit of her restraint for Lucretia to keep from laughing at her flustered husband. His bad temper always made him mess up and left him wide open for any type of attack, whether physical or verbal.

"You CANNOT see this boy. I forbid it."

Silence reigned in the dining hall for several moments. The tension was thick enough to cut with a chainsaw, and it was only a matter of seconds before the fuming Victoria, whose face was already beet red and her huge muscles twitching in agitation, would explode into one of her Richter-Scale measurable tantrums.

Lucretia spoke first.

"Anyway dear, do you have any specific plan to meet him yet?'

"Well…no," said Victoria, the tension draining out of her like air from a tire, "not yet. That's why I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to see if you had any ideas."

"Hmmm, I don't think you really want him to come upon you while you're committing a crime, even a simple rampage through the streets where you crush cars and rip up lampposts and not hurt anyone. That seems to turn the boys off."

"But isn't that how we're ALL supposed to meet?"

"Well, the adults yes. In your age group it's a little trickier. I think…"

"Hello, I am STILL in the room!" yelled Dr. Mandragore.

"Yes Barnabas, we can tell from the smell," said Lucretia without even bothering to look in her husband's direction.

The two women continued their conversation, totally ignoring the sputtering man of the house.

"As I was saying," continued Lucretia, "maybe if you happened to run into him at some social spot where all the kids from Sky High get together after school…"

"But where's that?"

"Well, if things are like they used to be, there was a place called LIMBO, a hangout for super kids from the different schools. It was a sort of neutral ground where the kids could gather without their parents frowning on them for fraternizing with the enemy."

"Oh, I know where that's at. Marduke was saying…" Victoria then stopped, realizing she had just slipped a secret about her eldest brother he had told her in complete confidence.

"There you go then," smiled Lucretia as if the secret had flown completely past her head, "simply try to see if he visits there regularly, and once you see a pattern simply arrange to run into him there one afternoon."

"Actually," said Victoria, her voice dropping to a whisper, "I already did that. I think he's going to be there this afternoon. He usually goes there after a big test, and I know they're having a lot of mid terms at Sky High today."

"Perfect," said Lucretia, who reached out and lifted her daughter's face so she could look her in the eye, "then go to your room, I'll be there in a few minutes, and we'll put together an ensemble that will drop the jaw of every male in the place, good or bad."

"Really?" asked Victoria, her face brightening until it seemed to glow.

"Really really," answered Lucretia, "now get going. I'll cool Daddy's embers, then we'll get to work."

Victoria leaped out of her chair, kissed her mother on the cheek, and vaulted out of the dining room with the speed and grace of a young gazelle despite her muscular bulk.

Once she was gone, Lucretia rose from her chair and sauntered over to where her husband continued to sputter and fume like a boiling teakettle. She sat on the table, reached out and began playing with his thinning hair.

"Do you think she bought it?"

"How could she not?" smiled Barnabas, instantly coming out of his fuming rage. "After all, was I not the finest of the thespians to ever perform in the halls of H.A.D.E.S.?"

"And you have not lost a bit of your magic," his wife smiled back, "maybe that's why I put up with you."

"Well, I did have quite a bit of motivation," admitted Barnabas, "after all I AM the father of a teenage girl in love."

"Ah," replied Lucretia, "but it's NOT with a boy you disapprove of."

"Yes," he said, "but I'll be skinned alive before I admit it. That is one of the perks of being a father."

"And mine," sniffed Lucretia, "is to be tolerant and supportive of our little princess when her mean old ogre of a father says "no"."

They both laughed for several moments.

"Alright then," said Lucretia as she stood up, "I guess I've stalled long enough. Though I may take the long way to get to her room to really work her up into a good lather."

"Yes," he smiled, also rising to escort his wife to the entrance, "every instant of

anticipation is always such exquisite agony, especially to the young. She shall savor every moment of it."

"You're right as always dear," she said.

"And this is from a confirmed psychic," he bowed and kissed her hand, "you flatter me, my dear."

"But darling," she paused before leaving, "what if Will and Victoria DON'T hit it off? I know I've had the visions, but…"

"If he breaks her heart," answered Barnabas, "I shall DESTROY him."

"Dear, in all of our years in the business, how many people have we ever REALLY destroyed?"

"Well, none actually, but I was not speaking as a super villain," he said, standing straight, "but once again as the father of a teenage girl in love."

To be continued

* * *

Remember King Kamayamayhem? He's mentioned twice in the movie! 


	2. Chapter 2

Before I start, I just noticed something. The CRUSH storyline is the SECOND story I've ever written that isn't completely Warren centered (The Kids Are All Right being the first). Though he is mentioned is Chapter 1 and this one, he doesn't really appear.

Wow. Maybe the medication IS helping (HA HA HA). Enjoy.

A quick note: "Anastasia " is the name I gave our beloved "Freeze Girl" from the movie.

It sounded mysterious and intriguing, like her.

CRUSH **Chapter 2: Well Met in LIMBO**

Will sat by himself at a small table in LIMBO, a hangout for super kids when they wanted to get together without their parents knowing about it. What the kids themselves didn't know was that their parents already knew all about LIMBO, because they used to go there for the exact same reason.

Will slowly drank his soda as he occasionally rubbed his still sore chest. He had just been finishing his mid-term in gym with a game of "Dodge the Death Traps" when the final trap caught him. A cannon fired at point blank range had caught him in the chest, slamming him the length of the maze and into the concrete wall beyond.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING STRONGHOLD?" bellowed Coach Boomer.

"Come on Coach," wheezed Will as he pulled the flattened cannon ball off his chest, "who uses freaking CANNONS anymore?"

"Two words smart guy," glared Boomer, "UNDEAD PIRATES!"

Will had been developing a theory that Coach Boomer had some kind of hang up with undead, especially zombies. This only helped support it.

"I'll bet you and "hothead" both don't think this is so easy anymore eh?"

Will knew he couldn't really argue. Though Warren had proven he could take super strong punches, what he couldn't take was a wrecking ball upside his head. He had put quite a hole in the adjoining wall, but he was hurt with a dislocated shoulder, ribs that would be sore for days and a bump on his head where the ball had connected. Ice packs were useless as his high body temperature melted the ice in no time, so Anastasia offered to take him home as she kept her cold generating hands on Warren's ribs and head. Nurse Peepers wrote them both an excuse then made sure Warren got his orange lollipop; "you couldn't drag him out of here without it," she grinned.

Will smiled as he wondered if Anastasia just used her ice powers as an excuse to literally get her hands on Warren, but he didn't seem to be complaining. Come to think of it, she never mentioned WHOSE home she was taking him to. Will then winced in pain as he moved a little the wrong way. He wouldn't mind Anastasia's touch right about now, either.

He looked across the club, noticing other Sky High kids, but also those from other schools as well. A group of what looked like young male and female models wearing the school uniforms of New Olympus Prep whispered amongst themselves as they glared at another table where students from H.A.D.E.S., a school for villains, sat. The leader of those kids, a tall youth with raven black hair, returned the glares of the Olympians with equal venom.

Will decided to finish his soda and wait for Layla outside. Whatever the two groups were mad about was none of his business, and he didn't really want to get in the middle of a fight as bad as he already felt. He had just gotten to his feet when he noticed someone had entered the club, someone who was catching everyone's attention. He could understand why.

Despite her huge muscles, she was obviously a girl. She was about three inches taller than Will, but at least twice as wide with a powerful, unbelievable physique. Her black hair flowed down her wide back to her tiny waist, sparkling and glittering like the night sky filled with stars. Her beautiful blue eyes were highlighted with the faintest trace of makeup and her full lips were the color of ripe strawberries. She wore a simple dark blue summer dress that seemed to billow and move as if by a breeze that registered with nothing else. On her feet she wore designer sandals that matched the color of her dress, as did her perfectly manicured toenails.

She was a stunner for sure. Every guy in the place had stopped whatever they were doing to look at her, much to the chagrin of any girlfriend, present or potential, they had been talking to. The crowd parted before her like waves before a stately ship.

She was headed straight for Will, zeroing in like he was caught in her sights.

Suddenly the leader of the H.A.D.E.S. kids stood up and got in the young goddesses' way.

"What are you doing here?" Marduke Mandragore asked his younger sister Victoria.

"None of your business," Victoria growled back, "get out of my way."

"You're my little sister," Marduke answered, "that makes it my business."

"Alright," she said, "I'm here to meet someone."

"Who?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. She could see the reaction coming from miles away.

"Will Stronghold."

Marduke looked back at Will, who was totally clueless about what was going on. His dark eyes narrowed as he looked at the skinny Sky High freshman that was the talk of all the schools for what he had done.

"Did Mom or Dad send you," he asked his sister, "is this a plot?"

"No," Victoria sneered, her temper starting to shorten by the second, "I'm here for me…I mean I came because I want to meet him."

"Why?"

"Fine," she snorted. "I love him. I want to make him my boyfriend, maybe even my husband. Happy?"

Happy was the last emotion going through Marduke at that instant. Confusion, anger and embarrassment that his little sister was going to come on to the son of the Commander in front of EVERYONE were all bubbling in Marduke's brain.

"Oh no," he snapped, grabbing Victoria by her wrist, "we're going home NOW."

Victoria snarled. She could easily hurl her oldest brother the entire length of the club and through the front wall with a flex of her eighteen-inch bicep, but she had a better idea.

"No," she yelled in a high voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "I said let go! Help! Help!"

Marduke was dumbfounded. He knew Victoria could wrench her arm out of a hydraulic vice much less his grip, so why was she…?

He felt a tap on his shoulder and heard a voice; "Hey pal, you heard the lady". Then it hit him.

The "damsel in distress". His sister had pulled the oldest trick in the book to get a super hero's attention.

Marduke glared at Victoria, who momentarily shot him the same sweet innocent smile all little sisters gave their big brother when she had just gotten him in trouble. He released her and turned around.

Sure enough there was the skinny Will, standing there with what passed for his chest sticking out and his hands on his hips, trying to look brave and heroic though Marduke towered over him by at least a foot.

"Beat it, freshmen," snarled Marduke, his eyes literally flashing, "This doesn't involve any Sky High squirts."

"Power down," said Will, "just leave her alone and let's all walk away. No one wants to get hurt."

"GET hurt? No," agreed Marduke, "GIVE hurt, however…"

Will had noticed how Marduke's eyes had been flashing, then glowing, so it was that combined with his reflexes that enabled him to dodge at the last second as twin beams of red energy shot from Marduke's eyes, blowing a hole in the concrete floor where Will had been standing.

"Come on "hero"," Marduke sneered, firing blast after blast as Will continued dodging, trying to find an opening, "let's see eye to eye on this!"

"Great," thought Will, "all this AND he does lame puns!"

Will feigned to his left and as Marduke started to fire Will dodged to the right, grabbed an unoccupied table and hurled it with all his strength. Marduke easily blasted it to pieces, but Will had launched right behind it for cover and flew to slam into Marduke, burying his shoulder deep into the older boy's stomach. Will then carried him along until they crashed into the wall near the entrance.

Will, remembering his fights with Warren and Royal Pain, was back on his feet in an instant, ready to continue.

Marduke, apparently, was not as tough as Will's best friend or his archenemy, because he simply lay there, moaning. He didn't seem to be bleeding or badly hurt, just stunned. Two of his classmates helped him to his feet and held him between them as they carried him out the front door.

The kids cheered Will. He turned to acknowledge them and found himself face to face with the girl he had rescued. From a distance she had been stunning, but up close…wow. Her deep blue eyes sparkled like the diamond earrings she wore, and he could count the light freckles on her pixie cheeks.

"Thank you," she smiled with dazzling white teeth as she rubbed her wrist like it was hurt.

"My pleasure," said Will as he blushed slightly. He had never seen a girl like her before. Her huge muscles were a mind-bending contrast to every girl he'd ever seen, but they seemed to strangely enhance her femininity rather than detract from it. He found he liked them.

"Are you okay?" He took her "injured" wrist and checked it, while she simply luxuriated in his holding her hand.

"I'm…fine," she barely whispered. Her mighty heart was banging so hard she was certain everyone in the club could hear it. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to grab him and kiss him, to taste every inch of his face with her lips.

"I think," she breathed, "my hero deserves a reward."

"No," he smiled "that's not…"

Victoria's lips shut him up. They were so soft yet firm…they were warm, and tasted like the wild strawberries they matched in color.

Will had always liked strawberries.

Again the crowd cheered.

Layla was just coming to the door when it suddenly flew open and a couple of H.A.D.E.S. students came out, half-dragging another between them.

"Sorry," said one of the boys, noticing they had almost run into Layla.

"Is he okay?" asked Layla.

"He'll be fine," the boy grinned, "but Will Stronghold is in for it now."

They carried their friend off before Layla could ask what they meant, and she heard a cheer come from inside the club. She stepped inside just in time to see it.

Not ten feet away from the door, to the roar of approval from the crowd, Will was in a firm lip lock with someone who looked like Hercules' not so little younger sister.

Green fire flashed in Layla's eyes.

"Oh, he's in for it, alright," she growled to herself.

The two boys took Marduke around a corner where a long black limousine with tinted windows waited. As they approached one of the rear doors opened by itself and they placed their friend inside.

"Thank you boys," said Lucretia Mandragore, sitting in the back seat, "are you sure I can't drop you somewhere?"

"No thanks, Mrs. M," said one of the boys, "we…borrowed one of the school's riding dragons to get here and we should get it back."

"Very responsible," smiled Lucretia, "very well then. Thank you again, and tell your mothers I said "hi"."

The boys turned to leave as the limousine door closed and the vehicle began moving soundlessly down the street.

"How was that Mom?" asked Marduke, pressing an ice pack to the back of his throbbing neck.

"Wonderful dear," smiled his mother as she poured him a cup of hot tea that was already laced with a powerful healing potion, "you have your father's flair for drama."

Marduke smiled as he kept the ice pack in place with one hand and gingerly sipped the tea with the other. In moments the aches left his body and the fast-forming bruises would vanish in a few minutes.

"Victoria's got Will. So when do I…"

"Patience," said Lucretia, "all things in time. Once William and Victoria are firmly together I shall turn my full attention to you and your "Freeze Girl"."

"Anastasia," corrected Marduke, her name sweeter on his tongue than the honey in the tea.

"Anastasia," repeated Lucretia, "of course…such a lovely name. Forgive me dear…so many names to keep track of in this little endeavor."

They rode in silence for several minutes before Marduke put down the ice pack and his tea and spoke again.

"Mom," he asked, "why are you doing all this? I mean, sure it's sneaky and manipulative, but it's hardly even close to "naughty". I don't think it will get you nominated for an Enemy Award any time soon."

Lucretia sighed and thought a moment before answering.

"I could say I'm doing it so two of my children will be happy. Does that sound selfish and villainous enough?"

"A little," he said, "and Layla is getting hurt…"

"A moment of pain that shall pass," soothed Lucretia, "she is far stronger than anyone seems to give her credit for. Besides, she will not be alone for long."

Marduke knew whom she was talking about…the only one that might come between him and Anastasia. The one Marduke both admired and feared.

"I'm surprised you didn't try to match HIM up with Victoria."

"As much as it would have healed a very nasty wound in both your father's and my hearts to have him join our family, it was not meant to be," said Lucretia with a sad look in her eye. "No, he must be with the only one who can truly bring him the happiness he needs and deserves after so long."

"That," said Marduke, "doesn't sound like the words of a bad guy."

"My dear son," smiled Lucretia as she sipped her tea, " we may be "bad guys", but that doesn't mean we're bad people."


	3. Chapter 3

I NEVER expected this story to become so popular (thank you, everyone, for all your kind reviews on ALL my stories). It was supposed to be just a one-shot that introduced Victoria, who is one of the new "villains"/Will's new girlfriend for my version of Sky High 2. I guess you've all taken a liking to her. Either that or you want to really see Will get the snot kicked out of him by Layla like he deserved in the movie. Works for me both ways.

I'm having a blast writing it, and it's getting easier as it seems to be taking on a life of it's own (again, thanks to all of you).

I've also gotten comments about Victoria's description, so I'll clarify here: she looks like a heavyweight female power lifter (only she's fourteen) with a face like a fourteen year old Charlize Theron (VERY cute).

Enjoy.

**CRUSH**

**Chapter 3:**

_Love Hurts (Especially If Your Stupid)_

Will awoke feeling great.

He climbed out of bed and smiled at the sunshine and singing of birds coming through his open window. He stretched, exhilarating in the refreshed flow of blood and tingle of muscles. He hadn't felt this good since…well, ever.

He whistled as he made his way to the bathroom, grabbing a fresh towel on the way. He loved the feel of the hot water as it sprayed him, still not believing how great he felt. Will had never thought it possible, especially after the way he had been feeling yesterday afternoon, tired and sore from a bad mid-term in gym. That changed when he met her.

Victoria.

What a girl! His head still swam just thinking about her; the muscles, the silky black hair, the dazzling blue eyes…the strawberry lips. And what she had done after he had rescued her from some H.A.D.E.S. punk…wow.

After she had kissed him, she took him to a secluded table in LIMBO and proceeded to massage his neck and shoulders until he thought he'd either melt like Ethan or start purring.

"You're VERY strong, aren't you?" she asked.

"Well, yeah," said Will, almost bragging.

"How strong are you?"

"Well, I'm not sure," Will admitted, "I've never had a chance to really test that."

"Would you like to?"

"Sure. When?"

"How about right now?"

"Now?"

She grinned mischievously, and nodded her head.

She led him downstairs, to a sub-basement he never knew existed. Once there she turned on the lights and revealed an enormous concrete room filled with some of the most monstrous weights Will had ever seen. Even the weight room at Sky High's gym paled in comparison to the massive pieces of steel that sat there like silent monsters waiting for their next victim to get too close.

"This is where the "big boys" come when they want to settle who's strongest between themselves or between the schools. Over there," she pointed to the wall, "are the pictures of the strongest to ever go through here. Go take a look."

Will did as she said, and he was surprised at what he saw. There were pictures of some of the most physically powerful heroes and villains he'd ever heard of, all of them when they were his age. One particular picture caught his eye.

In the picture a muscular young man with a beaming grin, tousled hair and sparkling eyes was giving a double biceps shot to show off the bowling balls that made up his arms. It was a picture of Will's dad.

"Wow," whispered Will, "he never told me about that."

"Probably being modest," said Victoria as she stood next to him.

Will had to stifle a snicker. "Modest" was not a word he'd ever heard used to describe his dad before. Still, it was strange he wouldn't have added this accomplishment to the lengthy list he always talked about.

"Ready to start?"

"Huh?"

Victoria had already placed several huge steel plates on a specially designed bar that had grips a normal sized person could put their hands around. From what he could see she had put the equivalent of ten tons on the bar.

"This should do for a warm up," said Victoria.

"For bench pressing?"

"No silly," she grinned like a pixie, "for arm curls."

"Uh…ladies first?" said Will,

"That's very sweet," said Victoria, who moved over to the bar, paused for a moment, then wrapped her hands around the grips. Once she was sure of her grip she braced herself, and began to lift.

Will thought his eyes would pop out of his head. Victoria slowly but easily lifted the monstrous weight off its rack, stepped back, and began pumping out reps of the bar without even breathing heavy.

"This is good for a start," she smiled sweetly as her already huge biceps began pumping with blood, "I just wish I'd thought to bring my gym gear. Then I'd really show you something."

What she was already showing him was something Will had not dreamed of before. He had heard of super-strong women, Warren's mother was supposed to have been in the same class as the Commander and Warren's dad Baron Battle, but actually seeing one in the flesh doing her thing was…wow.

"Your turn," she said, putting the weight back on the rack.

"Uh…yeah," said Will realizing he had momentarily lost track with reality while watching Victoria. "Sure."

Will went before the rack, adjusted his grip, and began the lift. It was a little difficult at first, as the angle forced him to actually work his upper arms on their own, something he'd never done before. Will had never been much into weight lifting, even before his super-strength had kicked in, and once it did he had taken it for granted that he could just lift, bend or break anything he wanted. He was now learning there was a lot of technique involved with maintaining the balance of the weights while keeping his grip on the bar. He started out slow, but quickly gained confidence as he felt the resistance of the weights and adjusted to them. He was starting to like the feeling of the blood pumping into his arms with the exertion. No wonder his dad seemed to enjoy being so strong.

After Will finished his set, he put the weight back on the rack with a loud clang. He then flexed his biceps and was surprised to actually see that they did seem to be a little bigger.

"Mmmm," purred Victoria as she felt his muscle, "this is a good start."

"Are you kidding," said Will, "I'm not even close to the guns you've got."

"You mean these?" grinned Victoria, flexing her right bicep so that it reached its full eighteen inches in circumference.

"Yeah," said Will, almost hypnotized by the sight.

"You'll catch up," said Victoria, "mighty oaks from little acorns grow."

After that she had put him through an entire workout routine that he never imagined he was capable of. The weights were unreal and the exertion tremendous, but she had been there the entire time, encouraging him and driving him on. When it was over he was soaked with sweat and breathing like a steam locomotive, but the feeling of exhilaration more than made up for it.

"Oh, look at the time," Victoria said, "I've got to get home right away. Could you…"

"Help?" he gasped, "Sure. Where do live?"

"It's not too far from here, but it would be a lot quicker if you…you know…"

"Fly?" asked Will, "Sure, why not? I can always use more practice with that too."

Victoria squealed with delight, and she and Will raced up the stairs and through the club to get to the outside. Will was startled to see that it was already dusk. How long had he been down in that dungeon with her?

"So do I hold onto you or…" said Victoria, bringing Will back to his senses.

"I think I'll do this the old fashioned way," Will grinned, and scooped Victoria up to hold her in his arms in the classic hero way. Though he was far more than strong enough to lift her, her larger frame made it a little awkward for him to get his arms and hands just right. Neither of them minded the brief tussle though.

Finally comfortable, Will lifted slowly into the air, carrying a sighing Victoria up into the evening sky. They soon came to a large house she identified as her home, and quickly landed so no one would see them. He offered to walk her to the door, but she said she'd have enough explaining to do to her "old-fashioned daddy" without having a boy with her. She then gave him another brain-numbing strawberry kiss and vanished amongst the large trees in the front yard.

Now Will finished his shower, dried off and changed into some fresh clothes. Since it was Saturday he knew he had the usual list of chores to do before he could go have some fun. He came downstairs and saw his parents both getting ready to go show some houses.

"Hey tiger," grinned Josie, "there's a plate of breakfast in the oven for you. Make sure you eat it all then get the plate in the dishwasher and the load started. You know everything else."

"Yeah Mom," said Will as he opened up the oven to the smell of a heaping platter of sausage and scrambled eggs with cheese. He quickly tore into it, ravenous from what happened yesterday.

"Anything else going on today?"

"Yeah, after I finish I'm going to go see a new friend I met."

"Oh, who is it?

"Her name's Victoria…she's really something."

Josie and Steven exchanged a worried look between them. They remembered all too well the last time Will had brought a new girlfriend home.

"Son," started Steven, "who is this Victoria?"

"She's great," Will said through a mouth full of food, "she's super strong and she showed me a new workout place and everything."

"Really? How strong?"

"Steven…" Josie said.

"What's her weight range…one ton…two?"

"Steven…"

"I'm not sure, but she can do ten ton arm curls for reps." Will finally said after he swallowed another mouthful.

Steven sat back and whistled, impressed.

"I couldn't do that when I was your age. Actually I couldn't do it until junior year. There was this one time Baron and I…"

"STEVEN!" Josie finally yelled.

"What? I'm just trying to find out about his new girlfriend."

Will almost choked on the half gallon of milk he had been chugging.

"Whoa, wait a minute. She is NOT my girlfriend."

"Of course not," said Josie, shooting her husband a dirty look, "your father means your new friend who happens to be a girl."

"Yeah," said Will, "that's it. She's like, you know, a lifting buddy…"

A lifting buddy who tastes like strawberries…a lifting buddy who smells like night blooming flowers even when she sweats…a lifting buddy with dazzling blue eyes he could stare into for hours like they were the night sky…a lifting buddy whose every curve and muscle was etched in his mind and dreamt about even as the sun shone in the sky…

Will came out of his thoughts with a start and looked at his parents.

"Sorry, did you say something?"

"I asked you if you knew her last name…where she's from," said Josie.

"Oh," said Will, realizing he had no idea about an answer to either question, "I don't know her last name, and I think she goes to one of the other schools…I don't think it's New Olympus because they all wear those uniforms, and it's sure not H.A.D.E.S. because…"

"She doesn't smell like brimstone?" Steven joked.

"No," grinned Will, "she sure doesn't…"

Will started to lapse into another daydream about Victoria before Josie snapped her fingers in front of his face, bringing him around.

"Why don't you get started on the yard tiger," she smiled to her son, "we'll let you know when we're leaving."

Will got up, put away the dish and started the washer, then headed for the front door to get out the lawnmower.

"He's got that same look on his face," said Josie.

"What look?"

"The same one you used to get when we first met. You looked like a deer caught in the headlights, but you liked it."

"No I didn't."

"Steve, you did it TWICE when we fought Royal Pain and Stitches. If I hadn't caught Gwen off guard like I did she'd have "pacified" you for sure."

"Come on," snorted Steven.

"What," she said, putting her hands on her hips in mock anger, "are you telling me you didn't think about me at all?"

"Only two times," grinned Steven as he took his wife in his arms, "day time and night time."

"You creep," she grinned.

They kissed, oblivious to the hell that was about to be unleashed.

Will walked out, closed the door behind him.

"Good morning world," he smiled.

The tomato hit him squarely in the face, exploding into a mass of red juice and pulp.

Will gasped and wiped the stinging juice from his eyes. What he saw made him wish he had kept them covered.

Layla was standing barefoot on the other side of the lawn. She was dressed in blue jeans and a blue halter top with her beautiful red hair pulled back into a ponytail that went almost to the center of her back. She looked gorgeous.

Except that her green eyes could bore a hole through solid concrete…like they were now boring through Will.

"Oh no," stammered Will, "Layla…I…I forgot all about you…I mean…"

He was choking on his words when he noticed the front yard was moving.

It was not grass, but masses of vines slithering and moving about like a carpet of serpents, all doing Layla's bidding.

Masses of vines. Tomato vines.

As one all of the plants rose up, their limbs covered with thick, juicy red tomatoes that would be the first prize winner at any state fair in the country. As one they all hurled their produce directly at Will.

He barely had time to put up his hands and squeak.

Inside the house, the sound of the barrage carried through to the kitchen, where both Steven and Josie stopped and looked at each other before Josie walked over to look out the front window.

"Layla out there?" asked Steven.

"Yes."

"Is that new front door the titanium reinforced one we ordered after Will broke the last one?"

"Yes."

"Is it locked?"

"Yes."

"He's going to clean that mess up."

"Of course."

"Well, let's get going," said Steven as his wife rejoined him in the kitchen and the two headed out the back door, totally avoiding the carnage out front.

Will was finally able to extricate himself from the roughly five hundred pounds of tomatoes that had turned him and the entire front porch into something out of a Bruce Campbell movie. He spit out a mouthful of pulp, and finally got his eyes cleared to see Layla still standing there, her eyes balls of green fury.

"Layla," he gasped, "please…say something…say anything…"

"I…saw…you…KISSING…her…" Layla snarled.

"Say anything but THAT," whimpered Will.

Layla's eyes narrowed.

A definite bad sign.

New vines began slithering around, replacing the depleted tomato plants.

"Layla," cringed Will, "I'm so sorry."

"You WILL be…" said Layla.

And then the watermelons started to fly.

To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

**CRUSH**

**Chapter 4**

_**An Unexpected Twist**_

Dr. Barnabas Mandragore was working in his laboratory on another of his endless creations for his clientele of super villains. His last robot had been used against the Commander in an utter disaster that would have been comical if not for the fact that the check for it had bounced.

But Dr. Mandragore was not worried about it; as wealthy as he was money was not important. The principal, however, was. He knew that particular client was good for the debt…in any event they definitely didn't want to meet the doctor's debt collectors.

It was then that Loki, the youngest of the Mandragore children, made his way in. The little eight year old was dressed as his father was, complete with a white lab coat, big rubber gloves and a pair of oversized goggles he had resting atop his shock of black hair.

He put his elbows on the table his father was working at and rested his chin in his hands.

"Daddy," he said deep in thought, "I'm having trouble with my flying octopus."

"And what is the trouble," asked Dr. Mandragore without looking up from his work.

"I don't know if I should give it vestigial lungs or make it totally amphibious."

"Well, I've always found that the more versatile your creation is, the better."

"Right Daddy, totally amphibious…both air and water. Thanks."

Loki then darted out of the lab like a shot, and Dr. Mandragore smiled at seeing his son's eagerness. Ah, to be young again.

About an hour later a tremendous, bellowing roar echoed throughout the castle, followed by the rumble of a wall being smashed and the flapping of great leathern wings that grew fainter in a few minutes.

"I suppose," said Dr. Mandragore to himself without having looked up once at all the sounds of chaos, "I should have asked him just how BIG his octopus was."

Marduke Mandragore was laughing

He couldn't help it. No one could have resisted it.

Not when they were watching the scrawny little punk who had embarrassed him yesterday in front of everyone in LIMBO get pelted by first a mountain of over ripe tomatoes, and then an even bigger blitz of green watermelons that had to be hard as rocks from the way they were smashing into Will Stronghold and the front porch of his house.

Marduke was actually a mile away, watching the entire thing via a combination of two of his vision-based powers; his "telescopic vision" that allowed him to see things over a great distance, and his "x-ray vision" that let him see through things, such as the houses, cars and trees that would normally block his view of this morning's entertainment.

Behind Marduke stood his two friends, Drake and Aaron. They were also seniors from H.A.D.E.S., the Harkonin Academy for the Development and Education of Super-villains, but they were not "really" villains; they were minions, the villain version of the sidekick. Drake had the power to fly, but unfortunately he also had an intense fear of heights and could not bring himself to rise more than ten feet off the ground. Aaron could control and manipulate emotions, but the only one he could do was make people feel all "warm and fuzzy" inside, which was hardly useful to a villain.

While others may have considered them lame and useful only as servants of a real villain, Marduke had been raised better than that. Sure their powers weren't that spectacular, especially compared to his, but they were his friends and he treated them as such.

"I wish I could film this," snickered Marduke as his eyes were tearing up from the combination of laughing so hard and fighting the urge to blink, as he didn't want to miss an instant of the fun.

One hour later, Layla was still fuming.

She was walking through the park, trying to cool down after having let Will know her true feelings about how he had treated her.

She was trying not to cry, but her emotions were playing out around her as the leaves on the trees turned brilliant fall colors then fell to the ground. Flowers lost their color and wilted as the plants seemed to go into dormancy as if for winter.

She finally sat down on a bench, totally uncaring about the beautiful morning. The sky might as well be clouded black for how she felt. The tears began.

"Hey beautiful," she heard a familiar voice say, "what's wrong?"

It was Warren. He stood there in his usual singed leather and denim, a look of concern on his face.

"Hi Warren," she said as she tried to wipe the tears away. She didn't want him to see her like this.

Warren sat down next to her and looked into her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he whispered softly, genuine concern shining in his dark eyes.

Layla couldn't hold it in. She told him everything. Finding Will kissing another girl then disappearing with her even as Layla sat in LIMBO and desperately waited for him. The sleepless night after she saw Will fly home and not stop by or even call her to try to lie to her about what happened. She also told him about gathering the seeds and using her powers to make them germinate and grow in seconds what would take months to normally do, then have them attack Will when he came out of the house at his usual time to mow the lawn every other Saturday. THAT he was dependable for.

"He doesn't deserve you," said Warren, leaning closer and giving Layla an intense look that sent a chill up her spine. "You deserve someone who really loves you…appreciates you…worships you…"

He kissed her on her lips, firmly but tenderly.

He then withdrew, smiling gently as he saw Layla's eyes were closed. She then dreamily opened them.

Then slapped him so hard he fell off the bench.

"Layla…?" Warren asked as he sat up, holding the side of his face and looking at her with the eyes of a wounded deer.

"You're not Warren," said Layla, standing tall and her eyes blazing.

"What do you mean? Of course I'm…"

"The truth," said Layla, her voice accompanied by the creaking of the limbs of the trees surrounding them as they started reaching for the young man with eager wooden claws.

"Okay, okay…" he said, holding up his hands in surrender, "I deserved that. I give up."

He then made a motion that looked like he was pulling something off his ring finger. In his hand a silver ring did appear, then "Warren" suddenly changed.

In his place sat a tall, athletic-looking young man with jet black spiked hair, wearing leather shoes, designer jeans, and a red and black letter jacket emblazoned with the strangely glowing "H" of H.A.D.E.S.

"I know you," said Layla, "you were the one I saw being carried out of LIMBO yesterday."

"Yeah," he said as he got slowly to his feet, "after Will Stronghold nearly put me through a wall."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because he thought he was defending…my sister."

Layla realized the boy did have the same striking black hair as the little ogress Will had been kissing. She had never got to see her face, but imagined she had the same bright blue eyes her brother did.

"Actually," he said, "I guess he was, because I was going to take her home before she embarrassed me."

"And Will did it instead."

"Yeah," he grinned sheepishly, "by the way, my name's Marduke…Marduke Mandragore."

Layla gasped. Everyone with any connection to the super world knew who the Mandragores were; Dr. Mandragore had been the archenemy of Baron Battle when he was a hero, and his wife Lucretia Mandragore was the old foe of Angelica Peace. Layla had heard they had children about her age, but to actually meet one was not a pleasant surprise.

"Why are you after Will," she said, taking a safe step back, "I'd think you two would be after Warren…he's the son of your parents' enemies."

Marduke smiled, amused by what she said. Layla couldn't help but notice the boyish dimples that appeared when he did.

"We're not "after" anyone Layla," said Marduke, "well…maybe not the way you're thinking anyway."

Marduke gestured if she would sit with him on the bench, and Layla nodded.

"It's like this," he chose his words carefully, "my little sister Victoria is in love with Will. She's…well, she's the only girl and…"

"What princess wants, princess gets," said Layla.

"Sort of," Marduke smiled again, "she's not really spoiled just…determined. At first I thought it was just a stupid kid's crush, but it's looking more and more like the real thing."

"Well," said Layla, crossing her arms, "it's nice she thinks that the rest of us will just stop the world while she tests her little theory."

"Please," he said, "don't think of her that way. Under all the muscles she's very naive and soft hearted. We don't let her watch "Bambi" because she cried so much and wanted to tear into the television to bring the little deer home after his mom was killed."

"That can be traumatic for a little kid."

"Little kid? That was just last week."

Layla couldn't stop from smiling at that. Was this young man lying to cover and help his sister, or was he being honest? Why would he be doing any of this at all?

"Why were you pretending to be Warren?"

Marduke turned beet red from embarrassment.

"It…it was Mom's idea."

"What?"

"She…she approves of Victoria and Will, but she also knows you and he are a…couple. She thinks you and Warren actually belong together because he loves you so desperately, but doesn't want to hurt Will. But since Will is obviously falling for Victoria, and you also love Warren…"

"I don't love Warren," she said defensively, "actually I do…but as a friend, that's all."

Marduke held up the ring for Layla to see it, and she looked through the silvery loop to see his glittering blue eye looking back at her.

"The doppelganger ring enables me to duplicate whoever I want. How did you know I wasn't Warren?"

"What do you mean?"

"What gave me away? How did you know?" His voice became a whisper, and his eye glittered brighter, almost hypnotic.

"The way you moved."

"What else?"

"The way you…smelled."

"What else?"

"The way you…never mind."

"Say it."

"You…you didn't…"

"Say it."

You didn't…taste like him."

"Like you imagine…or like you know?"

Layla snapped out of the daze and instantly slapped Marduke, knocking him to the ground again. She then recoiled, shocked at what she had done. Why had she reacted to violently?

"Okay, I deserved that one too," said Marduke as he got up, rubbing his face. "But the next time you hit me, could it be on the other side? I think you cracked a tooth with that last one."

"I'm so sorry," she said, "I…I don't know why I did that."

"No, it's okay," he said.

"You do love him, don't you?"

"Yes," she whispered, admitting it out loud to even herself for the first time.

"But you also love Will."

"I…I thought I did. I'm so confused."

"Yeah," he said, "love will do that to you."

They sat there in silence for several minutes.

"Why would your mother care about Warren and…me?"

Marduke sighed heavily and looked off into the distance.

"When Baron Battle…well, you know what happened. Warren's mom also had a nervous breakdown and…something else happened. Warren was really stressed and his powers manifested far sooner than they should have. He was badly sick…maybe would have died if Dad hadn't been there to save him. He cured him and Mom helped Warren's mom recover. They…all of us actually…have a soft spot for him…and his friends."

Layla didn't know what to think, much less say. She knew the story of Baron Battle; it was a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions that had been told and retold since she was little. But she had never heard about Warren's mother or what had happened to him.

"That's…"

"The last thing you expect a villain to do?"

"Yes."

"Now you know what I've got to live up to," said Marduke, "you, Will, all your friends have it easy…just be heroes like your parents. Even Warren's got his parents' past to draw on. Me and my brothers and sister…we've got to be villains…with hearts."

"That's…wow."

"Well, I'm trying to be, anyway. I think Victoria's heading towards being a hero, but Balthazar…my younger brother…is going for straight villain. Our littlest brother Loki is…well, Loki's just weird."

"I envy you," said Layla, "you've got so many siblings, while most of my friends and I are all "only childs". I'd love to have a brother or sister."

"Spoken like someone who doesn't have any," grinned Marduke.

Layla smiled again, and Marduke knew why Warren was so deeply in love with her. She was so beautiful…not just cute like he first thought, but really beautiful without any makeup or anything. There was her fiery red hair that glistened in the morning sun…her deep green eyes that matched any emerald in his family's treasury…the faint freckles that dotted the cheeks of her elfish features…

Marduke shook himself awake. Why was he having these thoughts about this little red-haired girl? He was in love with Anastasia…wasn't he? He had always admired her from afar, but never had the nerve to talk to her, especially when she seemed to start going with Warren.

Warren. That was another matter he didn't want to think about at the moment either.

"Listen," Marduke said, "thanks for not making the trees use me for a volleyball about the whole…Warren…thing. I've got to get going. Could I give you a lift somewhere?"

"No thanks," she smiled, "I think I'll stay here and fix the little mess I made with the leaves and flowers. After that…" she shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay," he smiled, and walked away.

Layla waited until he was out of sight before she got up off the bench and started revitalizing the plants she had unintentionally put into dormancy. Within minutes the entire area was lush and green and the air filled with singing birds and buzzing bees.

Layla decided maybe she'd head down town…find a place for lunch.

She was in the mood for Chinese.

As Marduke made his way through the park, he met up with Drake and Aaron.

"What was that stupid stunt back there?" he snapped at Aaron.

"What do you mean?"

"You were supposed to hide in the bushes and zap Layla with your "lovey dovey" power so she'd go totally under when I was Warren. Then a quick flash of my hypno-eyes to put her to sleep for a second while I got away, and she'd wake up thinking she had a dream, then go looking for Warren. You zapped ME instead, you jerk. What, you can't aim now?"

"M…Marduke," stammered Aaron, "I didn't zap you…I didn't zap anybody. We got…lost."

"Lost? It's a freaking park, and you," he turned to Drake, "you can FLY. Why didn't you just fly up and look around?"

"I…I tried," blushed Drake, "but I got up to the top of this tree and there was…this squirrel and…"

"Squirrel?"

"It…it was a BIG squirrel, Marduke…"

"Oh no…you're not…"

Drake nodded his head in shame.

"SCARED OF SQUIRRELS TOO!"

Marduke now understood why his father was given to such over the top tirades as he was famous for. He could feel his first one coming on right now, and it was going to be a major one. How could these two stupid, inept, bumbling morons screw up such an easy job like this? How could they get lost and Aaron not zap Layla OR him…

Wait a minute…

"You DIDN'T zap me, even accidentally?"

"No…"

Marduke stopped and thought again about Layla. The strange sensations began again as he thought of her hair, her dazzling eyes…of taking her lithe form in his arms and…

His eyes snapped open.

"Oh no," he whispered, "I've got it too."

"Got what?"

"Hero fever."

Hero fever. The term used around H.A.D.E.S. and throughout the underworld whenever a villain (usually a female) fell in love with a hero (or heroine). Victoria didn't qualify as she was not a villain, but Marduke was a senior at H.A.D.E.S. and definitely did. Of course he had a crush on Anastasia…who? Oh, the Freeze Girl. Yeah.

But now Layla…wondrous Layla with the hair of fire, eyes like emeralds and soft, succulent lips he could still feel on his own even after getting slapped twice.

Layla who was meant for Warren Peace, who also loved her.

Warren Peace, who Marduke…had certain feelings for as well.

"Oh no," whispered Marduke to his cohorts, "my Mom is going to kill me."

Will was at a total loss.

There was no way to clean up the monstrous mess of smashed water melons and tomato pulp that had battered and soaked him to the skin and stained the front porch of the house to the point of needing a new paint job. Luckily none of the windows had been broken, but it would take a lot of work nonetheless.

How could everything go so crazy in a little over twelve hours? He had gone from sore with a "C" in gym to euphoria with a muscle princess who made him feel so strong and confident to being the main victim in a remake of "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" because his friend was mad.

His GIRL friend.

Will had done it again.

How could he be so stupid? It seemed like the instant his super strength had kicked in his brain had gone into neutral. Of course being a teenage boy didn't help, but not like this. He realized he couldn't think of any super strong guys that were also very intelligent…even his dad, while hardly a moron, wasn't exactly a rocket scientist like his mom. It had to be a guy thing…too many hormones and industrial strength testosterone by the tanker truckloads had to make you stupid.

At least it only affected guys. Victoria was stronger than Will and very intelligent…and smelled great…and tasted like strawberries…

ARRGH!

He had done it AGAIN.

Even standing up to his knees in sticky, wet pulp and attracting more and more flies and bees by the second as the morning continued to warm, he had started spacing off about Victoria again.

It wouldn't do any good to shower then try to clean up the mess as he'd just end up sloppy again. He sloshed his way down the slippery stairs and made his way across the lawn, which had been restored to its rightful state by Layla before she stormed off, and went into the garage to get the snow shovel and all the garbage bags he could find.

When he came out he was surprised.

"Hey Stronghold," said Warren, who was standing on the front walk, "what happened here?"

"Layla," said Will, "I made her mad again."

"Gee, just because you ditched her and ran off with that muscle girl?"

"Does EVERYBODY know about that?"

"Let's see…busy hangout…Friday afternoon…beat up a villain kid AND making out in front of everyone…yeah, I'd say by now everybody does."

Will thought he felt like garbage before. That was preferable to how he was feeling now.

"Hey," said Warren, bringing Will back to reality, "how about a hand cleaning this up?"

"Yeah, dude," Will said, the gratitude lighting up his face, "I could kiss you," he joked.

"Whoa," grinned Warren, "you're cute but not my type. Besides, those hot lips of yours have already got you into enough trouble."

They both laughed, then started scooping up the slop and putting it into the garbage bags.

Will was so busy he didn't notice the silver ring that was on Warren's left hand.

"So," said Warren, "has Layla always been so…passionate?"

To be continued

Marduke is referring to the events in "Little Boy Lost"


	5. Chapter 5

Settle in kids, this is a bit of a long one, and I hope you think it's worth it.

**Crush**

_**Chapter 5**_

_**Problem Children**_

It was early afternoon before Will and Warren had finished cleaning up the front porch of the Stronghold house from Layla's vegetable vengeance. Will had offered the use of the shower for Warren to clean up, but he said he had to get going. After he left Will realized that all Warren had talked and asked questions about was Layla. Had he been trying to get Will to think about her?

After cleaning himself up Will was in the kitchen, making himself a couple of enormous sandwiches using every piece of cold cuts and cheese he could find. As he worked he turned on the radio, but didn't really pay attention to it as all his thoughts were on eating.

"…are encouraged to avoid city center as what appears to be a giant flying octopus is building a nest atop city hall…"

Will wolfed down the sandwiches, following them with a whole apple pie as he polished off another gallon of milk. He'd never been a big eater before, but apparently the workout Victoria had put him through yesterday had really jump-started his metabolism.

Once finished he decided to fly over and see if Victoria was home. It would be great to see her again, and he knew Layla REALLY didn't want to see him for at least a couple of days.

He carefully looked to see that no one was around, then quickly flew straight up to get as high as he could before he could be spotted. He then leveled off at about 1000 feet so only someone actually looking up intending to see him would.

Will was cruising along, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness as well as the wind in his face and was completely unprepared for what happened next.

An open, full garbage dumpster came flying straight up, hitting Will just right so that he was inside it and slammed through its contents to hit the steel bottom. The impact also made the lid slam shut.

Will was in the dark, unable to breathe in the reeking mess and lost his concentration. Trapped in the dumpster, he plummeted down.

The dumpster slammed into the ground, splitting open from the deafening impact and spraying garbage everywhere.

Will staggered to his feet, completely disoriented and reeking of filth. This was not his day.

He looked to see a large figure looming before him just as a fist slammed into his jaw. Will literally saw stars not just from the impact, but the blinding pain was like a handful of burning, electrically charged porcupine quills being jabbed into his face, twisted, then yanked out fiercely. Will dropped to the ground, stunned. He was on his hands and knees when his vision cleared and he saw his attacker.

He was a young man, probably only a year or two older than Will. His spiked hair sprayed out in all directions and was bleached yellow-white with a bad dye job as his black roots still showed. He wore wraparound sunglasses that hid his eyes, but nothing could cover the arrogant sneer on his face. His skin was a deep bronze color, and there was no evident tan line as he didn't wear a shirt, displaying a monstrously over-muscled physique that rippled and flexed with every breath he took. Strange tribal tattoos decorated his thick forearms, leading to two large hands encased in fingerless black leather gloves. He wore tight black leather pants and heavy work boots complete with steel toes.

"Well, well," sneered the ogre, "If it ain't little Willie Stronghold. Glad you could "drop in"."

"Witty and fashion conscious," thought Will, "just great."

"Who are you supposed to be?" Will asked as he spit out some coffee grounds.

"The name is Paine, Willie boy, MISTER Paine."

The name froze Will in place.

"Pain…as is Royal Pain?"

"Well, no," said the brute, "mine's spelled with a silent "e" on the end."

"Are you Gwen's brother?"

"Nope," he grinned evilly as he cracked his knuckles, "Victoria's."

"Either way I'm screwed," thought Will.

Layla went to the Paper Lantern and found Warren was not there. Mrs. Ling, the owner and head cook, told her Warren was home with a doctor's excuse; "bad day at school," she said with a wink. Layla wondered if the woman knew the truth, but didn't have time to question her.

She knew the address where Warren lived, and found a small, humble old apartment building down by the docks. She found the apartment number after climbing a couple of flights of stairs, and knocked on the door.

Warren opened the door a crack, his eyes bleary from just waking up.

"Yeah?"

"Hey sleepy head," smiled Layla, noticing from what she could see of him that Warren didn't have a shirt on.

"Huh? You? Just a second…"

Warren shut the door and Layla heard him leave and return a moment later. The door opened again and he stood in his customary sleeveless shirt and jeans. Even barefoot Layla couldn't help but notice how tall he was, and resisted the urge to run her fingers through his already tousled hair.

"What's up," he asked, already looking like he was ready to fall asleep on his feet.

"I just thought I'd come by and see how you were," said Layla, coming in and looking around the apartment. It was also very humble with comfortable furniture and a modest entertainment center. Many pictures lined the walls, and she was instantly drawn to the wedding portrait of Warren's parents; how beautiful his mother was in her wedding dress and his father was so handsome in his tuxedo. She doubted it was the same tux that Warren had worn to homecoming, as his father was a huge man taller than him.

"So?" she asked.

"So what?"

"So how ARE you?"

"I'm alive," he half-smiled, "despite Boomer's best efforts."

"I doubt coach was trying to kill you," smiled Layla, "he's just…"

"An a-hole?"

"I was going to say loud mouthed jerk, but…"

"So?"

"So what?"

"So now you know how I am. You can go."

"Don't be rude to your friend, young man," came a commanding voice from another room.

If Layla had been chewing gum, she would have swallowed it.

Into the room walked Angelica Peace, Warren's mother. She was tall enough to look her son in the eye, and every inch of her statuesque form was that of a queen, totally out of place in the apartment. Her snowy hair was pulled back in a simple braid that reached her waist, and her own green eyes seemed to glow from within. Dressed in even a simple light blue dress suit she was stunning. She looked young enough to be Warren's older sister, not his mother.

"I'm sorry,' she smiled, lighting up the room, "he's always grumpy when he first wakes up."

"Then he must nap a lot," smiled Layla, "he's been grumpy since I first met him."

"You must be Layla," Angelica said, taking Layla's hands and looking her over, "Warren has told me all about you."

"He HAS?" Layla shot Warren a quick look and noticed he was blushing.

"And you are as lovely as he said."

Now it was Layla's turn to blush.

"I'm glad you came to visit," she said, "I couldn't stand the thought of Warren sitting around all day when it's so beautiful outside."

"Thank you Mrs.…" Layla didn't know how to address her.

"It's alright dear," Angelica said, "I am still Mrs. Angelica Battle, though Warren and I use my maiden name. Just call me Angelica."

"Thank you…Angelica," said Layla.

"Warren," she turned to her son, "go shower and take Layla somewhere nice for lunch. I'll keep her company until you get back."

Warren got a worried look on his face.

"What are you going to talk about?"

"I'm your mother," she grinned, "what do YOU think? Now hurry before I break out the baby pictures."

Warren as off like a shot down the hall and the door to the bathroom slammed shut behind him.

Will ducked the first wild swing and came back up to punch his opponent in the stomach. Though a good punch, his abdominal muscles were like steel plates and he was barely winded while Will felt another shock of agony where his fist had touched, igniting all the nerves up to the elbow.

"Good shot Willie," grinned Paine, "but I bet it hurt you more than me. See, my skin gives off a low-level energy field like an electric eel. It affects the nerves of anyone I touch or who touches me…and it hurts like hell."

He slugged Will in his shoulder, sending another shock of agony into the same arm.

"Invulnerability doesn't help," he continued, "because if you can feel, I can hurt you."

Will then wished he'd has his mom teach him martial arts, they'd come in handy right now. But that would still mean making contact with his opponent and getting fried again, unless…

Will got an idea…to test it he started dancing around, staying out of Paine's reach. When the punk finally got frustrated enough, he bellowed like a bull and charged. At the last second Will flew up into the air, hovered at head height, and kicked him in the jaw.

There was no pain as Will's foot was covered by his tennis shoe.

Paine's head snapped back as his glasses flew off. He stood there stunned for a second, then shook his head and wiped some drool from his chin. He then glared at Will with the same deep blue eyes Victoria had, startling Will.

"Sweet move, Willie," snarled Paine, "but you'll have to do better."

He then grabbed Will by his ankle, trying to pull him down, and his pain touch was useless as Will's leg was covered by his heavy denim jeans. Will was glad he didn't wear shorts right then.

Will flew up into the air as his foe tried to grab him with his other hand. Once high enough, Will tried the same mid-air spin his mother could do, becoming a blur as he spun faster and faster until Paine lost his grip and went flying off.

Once Will felt the grip gone, he slowed down and stopped but found himself extremely dizzy from the stunt. He didn't see Paine anywhere nearby, so he landed as best he could, still woozy.

"Will! Will!" He heard a familiar voice.

It was Victoria. She was wearing a green blouse and jeans that looked painted on but still very nice; her hair was pulled back by a braid woven with silver wire that accentuated her black hair, and she wore sandals revealing her manicured toenails.

"Are you okay? I saw the whole thing."

"Yeah, I'm…okay…."

He then fell to the ground.

Layla and Angelica chatted about a few things before Layla finally used the opportunity given to her.

"I met someone this morning," she said, "a boy…a young man…who used a ring of some kind to make himself look and sound like Warren."

Angelica's face went pale for a moment. "Did you learn his name?"

"Marduke…Mandragore."

Angelica sat back, her mind racing.

"Did he try to do anything…say anything?"

Layla took a deep breath and told her everything, even about Will and Victoria.

"Be very careful Layla," said Angelica after hearing the entire story, "I don't know why Lucretia has taken such an interest in all of you, but she is very cunning, manipulative, and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. I just don't know what it is this time, but I have a suspicion…"

"What about Victoria and Marduke?"

"I don't think either one of them is a threat, despite who their parents are."

"Marduke told me Dr. Mandragore saved Warren's life when he was little."

"Yes he did, and I'll always be grateful to him for that. I've never thought he did it to try to atone for his crimes. The old devil actually looked upon Warren's father as a friend instead of the usual hero/villain relationship, and he helped Warren because he wanted to."

"That's how Marduke talked about it."

Angelica smiled. "Apparently also having children of their own seems to have taken the venom out of both of them…but always remember Layla, that Barnabas and Lucretia are still snakes. Treat them with caution and respect."

Warren came in, dressed in a different sleeveless shirt, singed jeans and boots.

"Doesn't he wear anything else?" asked Layla.

"Not as long as I've known him," replied Angelica.

Warren rolled his eyes and headed for the door, grabbing his jacket off a coat rack next to the door.

"Have a good time kids," smiled Angelica, "but Layla, remember what I said…stay close to Warren and be careful."

Layla nodded as she and Warren stepped out into the hallway.

"What did you two talk about," he asked nonchalantly.

"How cute you were as a baby."

"No you didn't."

"Mm-hm. Showed me pictures too."

"No."

"You had the cutest dimples."

He only grunted.

"And the ones on your face still aren't bad either," she grinned.

Mr. Paine looked around, wondering where he was and how he could get back to Will.

Then he heard it.

"Balthazar Agamemnon Mandragore!"

He was afraid of only five things in his young life. The voice he heard belonged to three of them. He slowly turned, and there she was.

"Hi Mom," he said, once again a scared five year old caught stealing cookies.

"Don't you "Hi Mom" me, young man!" Lucretia Mandragore was fit to be tied and, as usual, it was her middle son who was responsible for her state of agitation. She stood in the middle of the alleyway, looking completely out of place in her immaculate black dress, high heels and blood red scarf draped across her shoulders.

"What in the Nine Hells did you think you were doing?"

"But Mom, he's a little Sky High punk and…"

"I'm not talking about that," she snarled, "though we'll get to that later! I mean just look at you…what is with that atrocious hair and those tacky leather clothes? You make a mockery of all those lovely goth children out there by running around like a shirtless heathen brawling in the streets. And just WHERE did you get those muscles?"

"Radioactive steroids," mumbled Balthazar, for the first time ashamed of his powerful physique as he tried to scrunch down, wishing he had a coat or something to cover himself.

"I don't believe this," said Lucretia, throwing her hands up in the air, "we let you out of the house to go to the west coast so you could "find yourself" and THIS is what you found. Now I like the tattoos mind you, but why you got radioactive steroids when you have a perfectly good genetic manipulation machine in your little brother's lab is beyond me."

From thin air the family limousine appeared, the back door opening by itself.

"Get in the car," said Lucretia, "we are going home, young man."

Balthazar almost protested, but he swallowed his pride and followed his mother into the car. Once inside he received a smack upside his head by his older brother Marduke.

"Way to impress Victoria's boyfriend beach boy," said Marduke.

"Yeah," replied Balthazar, "at least I can take him, which is more than you can say. And why do you smell like watermelons?"

"Enough you two," hissed Lucretia, her mind racing to find a way to save this entire situation.

"Hi Balth," said Loki, popping up over the middle seats to greet his brother.

"What's HE doing here?" asked Balthazar, surprised to see his little brother on the loose.

"Your father saw fit that Loki spend this lovely day out of the castle. Besides, he seems to have…misplaced…another of his pets and he is out looking for it."

"What, this one doesn't leave a big enough trail of destruction to follow?"

"It flies," grinned Loki. "I like your new look, Balth. It's freaky."

"Thanks," said Balthazar. At least someone in the family had a kind word for him.

"Oh, please don't sulk dear," said Lucretia as she reached over and tried to straighten the tangled mess that was Balthazar's hair with her hand. He had always been a bit of a problem child, but that was mostly due to "middle child syndrome" and Lucretia did not love him any less than the others.

"We'll at least get your hair touched up so it looks decent. You are quite handsome as a blond."

"Thanks," said Balthazar, eating up the attention like candy.

"But that is still no excuse for attacking William like that. You could have ruined everything."

Balthazar seemed to deflate like a balloon again. Why did his mom have to run hot and cold?

"Balthazar," said Lucretia, knowing full well how sensitive her second born son was, "I'm just worried that Victoria's chances of having a relationship with William may have been jeopardized by your…eagerness. I know you didn't mean any harm."

"Except hitting him with a ton of garbage then trying to beat the snot out of him with his "pain punch", you mean," said Marduke, who was also upset to see so much hard work being wasted but was not as caring about his brother's feelings.

"Marduke," said Lucretia, "you are in no position to criticize your brother. He at least knew nothing about this. You, however, deliberately went against my wishes and used your ring to get close to Will and gain information on Layla. And do I really need to guess why?"

Marduke went pale as a sheet for a moment, and then turned red with embarrassment under his mother's all-knowing gaze. Did she really know about his sudden feelings for Layla, feelings that were only hours old but quickly gaining in strength?

Lucretia sighed heavily, and then looked at her two oldest boys while the youngest scrambled over the back of his seat to join them.

"My sons," she smiled, "whatever shall I do with you?"

Victoria helped Will to his feet, heedless of the reeking smell coming from him. She then began gently picking pieces of refuse still stuck in his hair.

"Are you really okay?"

"Yeah," said Will, not really sure but not wanting to worry Victoria, "yeah, I'm okay."

"I'm so sorry," said Victoria, "I'm going to strangle Balthazar when I get home. He's not even supposed to be in town right now."

"Victoria," said Will, "I think we need to talk about a few things."

"Oh no," said Victoria, "are you going to dump me?"

Will was surprised. He didn't even know they were going together, and now she was so afraid of rejection it was painful to watch.

"No," he said, "that's not what I mean at all. Your brother tried to pound me into the ground just because I was seeing you, and I have no idea who he is. I don't even know who you really are, but you know a lot about me. Why is that?"

"I…" she started, nervous and unable to look him in the eyes, "I…studied you."

"Studied me?" said Will, surprised by her answer. "Just what does that mean?"

"I've been…watching you for quite a while, Will. I first learned about you when I read mother's report about the fight between you and Warren in the cafeteria…when you first powered up."

"Report? Why would your mother have a report on that?"

"She…likes to keep track of things. That's how I know so much about you. I know about the homecoming dance where you saved the school from Royal Pain, I know about you and Warren being the reigning champs at "Save the Citizen", I know…about Layla."

"Victoria," said Will, really wanting to understand what was going on, "what are you not telling me?"

"My last name," she finally whispered, "is Mandragore."

Will's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Mandragore…as in Dr. Mandragore, the super villain who was always fighting Warren's dad? You're his…"

"His daughter," admitted Victoria, for once in her life ashamed of her heritage.

"And your mother…who likes to keep track of things?"

"Lucretia Mandragore…the Shadowitch."

"Oh this is just GREAT!" Will finally lost it.

"First I get all lovey dovey with a girl who turned out to be one of my dad's old enemies turned into a major hottie, and now I'm dating the daughter of two of the world's most dangerous villains. My taste in girls SUCKS!"

Will heard a sound.

Victoria was crying. For all her big muscles and stunning beauty, she was still just a young girl in the throes of love, and now the object of her desire had just insulted her.

"Victoria," said Will, suddenly feeling worse than he smelled, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just that things have been crazy the past…well, since you came into my life."

Victoria started crying even harder. Will mentally kicked himself.

"No, that's not what I meant," said Will, trying to put his arms around her but realizing he couldn't encircle her broad shoulders. "I meant that…things are happening so fast. I've been in two fights, one with your brother and…"

"Both of them," said Victoria through her sniffles, "were my brothers."

"You mean that guy at LIMBO…"

"My oldest brother Marduke."

"Okay, so when does you dad show up driving some big death machine to pound on me?"

"Don't be silly Will," said Victoria, having gotten a hold of herself, "Daddy doesn't do that sort of stuff anymore. He'd probably just send a giant robot after you, and even then only if you really hurt my feelings."

"Like I just did?"

"Maybe."

"And if I said I was sorry?"

"He…might not. If you said it the right way."

"Like this?" Will pulled Victoria to him and kissed her, holding her there for several moments as he drank in the taste of her strawberry lips and her perfume.

When he finally released her she was panting for breath. Whether because of the kiss or his smell was unknown.

"I…think that takes care of any robot launch," said Victoria, her still wet eyes now glittering with joy.

"I don't care who your parents are," said Will, "I don't care if your brothers hate me and want to beat on me everyday…by the way, are there any more brothers?"

"Only Loki, but he's only eight. Though he might send a giant monster after you just because he's a little brat at times."

"Sounds like I'll get lots of practice fighting the forces of evil then," grinned Will.

"Well, not evil. Naughty, grumpy and needing a butt kicking maybe, but not evil."

Will shrugged. It would get him in shape if nothing else.

"Yo dude, what's up?"

Will turned and saw Zach, Magenta and Ethan standing there staring at him and Victoria.

"Uh, Hi guys," said Will, his face reddening, "how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," said Magenta, who's crossed arms, stiff posture and narrowed eyes were all signs she was not too happy about what she was seeing. She and Layla were good friends, and seeing Will in the arms of another girl was not conducive to lightening her usual dark moods.

"Uh…what are you doing here?"

"We…uh…we were hoping to spot that giant flying octopus that's been all over the news this afternoon," said Ethan, "when we ran into you and…someone else."

"Who?" asked Will, getting a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Me," said an all-too familiar voice behind him.

Will and Victoria both turned to see Layla and Warren standing there. Warren had a confused look on his face as if wondering what Will was doing soaked in garbage and standing in the street making out with someone who had to be the Hulk's little sister.

The look on Layla's face was one Will knew all too well.

"Will," she said too quietly, "do you know who she is?"

"Yeah," said Will, "this is Victoria Mandragore. Victoria, this is…"

"Layla," smiled Victoria as innocent as a lamb, "I know all about her. Hi."

"Hi?" echoed Layla, "you come lumbering into our lives and disrupt everything, steal my boyfriend and act like you can be all friendly?"

Even Warren stepped back away from Layla. He was NOT going to get in the middle of this. Will, however, did not have that kind of good sense.

"Easy Layla," said Will, trying to step between the two girls, "she doesn't mean any harm. Not like you anyway.'

"What does THAT mean?"

"Come one Layla, you nearly trashed the front porch of my house just because you were mad at me. My folks will kill me."

"I've got a feeling they'll have to stand in line," said Warren.

"Come on Warren," said Will, "you saw the mess she made, how about backing me up here?"

"Whoa," said Warren, holding up his hands, "don't drag me into this Stronghold. I haven't seen you since gym yesterday.

"By the way…" he turned to Victoria, "are your parents my parents' old enemies?"

Victoria nodded her head.

"Then shouldn't WE be making out? That's usually how it works, isn't it?"

"What IS it with everybody?" Victoria yelled, "Yes your gorgeous, yes your hot, yes I know about your nipple rings, but I LOVE WILL!"

Everybody was stunned.

Warren turned three shades of red as he crossed his arms over his chest before he realized everyone wasn't focused on him.

"There," said Victoria, "I finally said it, and I don't care who knows it. Now all your friends know it. Now you know it."

Will was dumbstruck as much as everyone else. It took him a moment before he could finally say anything.

"Really?"

"Oh yes," said Victoria, grabbing his hands and holding them tenderly in her powerful grip. "Yes I do. I developed a crush on you from reading about you and seeing pictures of you. You were so strong and heroic saving Warren from Speed in "Save the Citizen", you captured Royal Pain, something your dad never did. And once I got to meet you face to face…got to talk to you and work out with you…when you carried me through the evening sky in your arms…when we kissed…I know I love you.

"Well, well, ain't that sweet."

It was Paine again…rather Balthazar. Marduke was with him, backed up by Drake and Aaron. All of them were glaring at Will.

"I see you got some buddies, little Willie," sneered Balthazar, "good thing I got my big bro and his buds with me here."

"Back off Balthazar," said Victoria, "you leave Will and his friends alone."

"Uh-uh Vicky," said Balthazar, "we're going to "initiate" little Willie into the family. But his buddies can watch."

Ethan tugged on Zach's arm.

"There's another one, over there."

Ethan had spotted Loki sneaking up behind them, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Dude, you mean Eddy Munster over there? What can he do?"

"Let's cut him off before we find out the hard way."

Zach and Ethan both moved to intercept Loki who, though he stopped, was still grinning.

"Okay little guy," said Zach, "where do you think you're going?"

"I wanna fight too."

"No offense," said Ethan, "but there's no way you've powered up by now. How would you fight us?"

Loki pointed up.

Zach and Ethan…everyone in fact…first felt the wind, then the shadow fell across them.

As one they all looked up.

A fifty-foot long octopus with a pair of huge, bat-like wings growing from the sides of its body hovered above them. Its bizarre skin kept changing colors and textures from smooth to thorny and back as it looked upon them with pulsing yellow eyes.

"Dude," Zach half-whispered, "that is wrong on so many levels."

Loki pointed at the Sky High kids.

"Sic 'em!"

With a deafening roar the octopus turned bright red and began to descend.

To be continued

(The events in The Night the Devil Cried storyline)


	6. Chapter 6

**Crush**

_**Chapter 6**_

Kids in the Brawl 

The giant flying octopus had only descended ten feet before a flurry of fireballs began striking it, causing it to roar in rage and pain.

Warren also winced in pain from the sore ribs he had sustained in p.e. the day before. The pain also threw off his aim as he had tried to send his fireballs into the monster's gaping beak-mouth, but only succeeded in peppering the area around it, including the base of the tentacles.

Marduke used the distraction to fire his eyebeams as Will, who was caught in the chest and sent hurtling backwards into a parked car with such force he caved in the drivers side door and sat in the front seat momentarily stunned.

"Get over there and make sure his buddies don't interfere," Marduke yelled at Drake and Aaron, "you too Balth!"

Balthazar balked at his older brother talking to him like that.

"I'm not one of your goons," he snarled, "and don't use my real name!"

"Whatever," replied Marduke, "just take somebody!"

"I know who," grinned Balthazar, "I think I'll go meet the little redheaded cutie over there."

"Balth, no!" yelled Marduke, his heart skipping a beat at the thought of his brother using his pain-inducing touch on Layla. Layla, a girl who had stolen Marduke's heart in the little time he had talked to her and stolen a kiss using Warren's form.

Marduke was about to blast his own brother in the back to save Layla, but another Mandragore stepped in as Victoria became a living roadblock between her older brother and Layla.

"I told you to leave Will and his friends alone, Balth," she growled, "back off."

Balthazar stopped, trying to figure out what to do. He knew if he could grab Layla he could force Will and the others to do whatever he wanted, but he hadn't counted on Victoria actually taking their side.

"Come on Vicky," he said, "I'm not going to hurt her, just scare Willie and the others."

"Don't call me Vicky," said Victoria, "and you're NOT going to put a finger on Layla!"

Layla didn't know what to think. Here was the girl who had stolen Will away from her now defending her against someone who was apparently another brother Marduke had mentioned. While Layla always prided herself as a free thinker, this whole situation was tossing convention out the window at an alarming rate. But she wasn't about to play the shrinking violet in this instance, and she found something in her pocket that she had picked up earlier in the park that would make things interesting.

"Hey "Spike"," yelled Layla, "catch!"

Layla threw something over Victoria's shoulder that landed at Balthazar's feet.

It was a small acorn.

"Was that supposed to hurt?" sneered Balthazar.

"No," smiled Layla, "THIS is."

In an instant the acorn burst open and transformed into a monstrous adult oak tree that shot up into the sky, taking a yelling Balthazar caught in its branches up with it. Its roots sank through the street into the ground below as it held the struggling young villain in its branches nearly fifty feet off the ground.

"Wow," said Victoria, "I guess I should have protected him from YOU."

Layla smiled at the compliment, but she wasn't done yet. With a thought she had the mighty tree uproot itself and, with a deafening groan of moving wood, the tree flailed out and slammed into the giant flying octopus, sending the monster into the side of a building where its squishy form received a tremendous impact.

A savage smile crossed Warren's features, and he mentally thanked Layla for the chance to catch his breath. He was getting ready to build up to one of his major blasts when a strange sensation started in his head, followed by a feeling much like when he met Layla in the Paper Lantern that first night. It was a warm tenderness that began to relax him and make the anger leave his body…

Warren snapped out of it. Snarling, he looked around and saw one of the jerks in a H.A.D.E.S. letter jacket, this one a skinny blonde geek, standing and staring at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" snarled Warren.

"Uh…" stammered Aaron, realizing his "warm and fuzzy" power was no longer working on Warren, "trying to make you feel good."

"You REALLY want me to feel good?"

"Uh…yeah."

"Hold still…" hissed Warren as a fireball appeared in his right hand.

Will climbed out of the car, bringing the door with him. He hoped the owner had good insurance.

"I see you like to blindside people like your brother," said Will, actually glaring at Marduke, "is that how your parents taught you to fight?"

"Leave my folks out of this," said Marduke, "it's bad enough my sister's involved."

"Hey, she chose me," said Will, "not the other way around."

"Yeah, but if you think I'll sit back and let you continuously hurt her like you do Layla, you're even stupider than you look."

"What do you know about Layla?" Will found himself starting to actually get angry now.

"Everything," Marduke grinned evilly, holding up his hand to show the silver ring on his finger.

Will was confused for a moment, and then he remembered seeing the same ring flash on Warren's finger earlier at his house.

Suddenly Marduke was gone, and Warren was standing in his place, the same mean grin on his face.

But Warren never wore a silver ring.

Then Warren was gone, replaced by Marduke.

For one of the few times in his life, Will became angry.

Very angry.

Without hesitating he hurled the car door like a frisbee at Marduke, who easily blasted it aside with his eyebeams. But Will had flown up into the air and came down fist first to slam the street.

Will's version of his father's "seismic punch" sent a shockwave out in all directions, shattering the blacktop and sending EVERYBODY flying into the air. It was then Will realized what he had done.

"Oh God," he whispered, "I'm so stupid."

He knew he had to save his friends, but which one first?

Layla.

He looked for her in the split second everyone was up in the air and spotted her, but before he could move she was already falling.

She was caught.

Victoria, who had ridden the shockwave like a surfer on a board, held Layla in her own massive arms for a second, then set her down safely.

Magenta was sent flying, but Drake, who had been flying towards her, caught her.

"Hey cutie," he said, "you don't look so dangerous to me."

"Oh yeah?" sneered Magenta, and she turned into her guinea pig form.

"SQUIRREL!" Drake screamed like a little girl.

"I'm not a squirrel you idiot," squeaked Magenta, "I'm a guinea pig."

"Oh," said Drake, "GUINEA PIG!"

He then dropped her.

Magenta panicked at the thought of hitting the torn up asphalt, but again she was caught.

This time she plopped down into the lap of Loki Mandragore, who was sitting up from having been knocked down on the outer edge of the shockwave.

"Wow," he said, looking at the unusual colored rodent, "it rains guinea pigs here? I gotta come to town more often."

Magenta returned to her human form, only making Loki's eyes grow wider.

"I'm DEFINITELY coming to town more," he said as he looked at the cute purple and black clad girl standing over him.

"Alright," said Magenta, trying to sound tough as she hauled Loki to his feet by his jacket collar, "call off your big…whatever it is before Warren turns it into calamari."

"Calamari is squid," corrected Loki, trying to sound distinguished to impress Magenta, "and Herkimer is obviously an octopus."

"Herkimer?" Magenta asked, "You named that thing…whatever. Just call it off!"

"You can turn into a guinea pig?" said Loki, totally lost in studying Magenta, "that is SO COOL."

Magenta did not know how to respond. She had expected the little monster to start fighting or yelling for help, but to compliment her like that?

Zach and Ethan had been having the hardest time of the fight so far, mostly dodging the octopus' tentacles as it flailed wildly while being attacked first by Warren then by Layla's animated oak tree. While Ethan could easily avoid the tentacles by melting and flowing out of them, Zach had to duck and roll almost nonstop until the shockwave hit, sending him into the air where he grabbed a light post and held on for dear life.

"Great," he thought, "now I AM a human stoplight."

Warren's fireball was thrown off course as Will's shockwave hit, so it exploded a couple of feet away from the cowering Aaron. Warren was barely able to keep his balance, but he was determined to keep his dignity and look cool while everyone else flailed around.

He then saw Marduke sitting up and about to blast Will in the back.

"Stronghold, duck!" yelled Warren as he hurled a fireball in Will's direction.

Will flattened just as both the fireball and eyebeams met where his head had been an instant earlier. The colliding energies made a deafening blast that reverberated almost as loud as the shockwave.

"Warren," Will yelled back, "behind you!"

Warren turned and looked up to see that "Herkimer" had recovered from being attacked by Layla's tree, which was now still as Layla had lost her concentration from the shockwave. The monster was flying over Warren, its eyes narrowing as a strange gurgling came from it.

Ethan, again solid, had an awful idea what was about to happen.

"Warren," he yelled, "it's going to…"

A blast of liquid ink equal to the strength and volume of a fire hose attached to a truck smashed into Warren, hurling him back and covering him with countless gallons of the smelly black substance. Everyone on both sides of the fight winced at the sight.

"Eww," said Loki, "I forgot he could do that."

When the deluge ended, nearly a one hundred foot area was covered with an inch of thick black ink. Warren lay in the center of the blast; his chest moving was the only sign he was alive.

Then he sat up.

Warren blew ink out of his nose and spit it out of his mouth. He wiped it from his eyes as best he could, then slowly got to his feet. He then noticed he was soaked with the vile smelling liquid, and the ink on him started steaming and bubbling.

The ink around him for ten feet also started hissing and bubbling.

Warren glared up at the octopus, his body starting to tremble with unbridled anger.

Someone yelled "DUCK AND COVER!" No one was sure who it was, but everyone did.

"This…was…my…best…JAAACCKKKEEEETTTTT!"

Warren's roar built in intensity until it seemed the only sound in the world. Everyone was already on the ground in a fetal position with their hands over their ears.

Herkimer, as if sensing what was about to happen, got a strange looking "uh-oh" expression on its face.

A mushroom cloud of flames and heat exploded upward, its force blowing the flying monster completely out of the city and far out into the bay, where it splashed down in an explosion of steam and water and sank out of sight, leaving only bubbles behind.

For several moments there was silence. Then someone coughed. Slowly everyone started moving, realizing they were still alive.

Victoria had grabbed Layla, thrown her down and shielded her with her own more powerful body. Zach had dropped to the ground and gotten behind a large chunk of now-singed pavement. Ethan had gone liquid and flattened out to be unharmed. Magenta hadn't had time to do anything, but Loki had activated a device and covered both him and her with a force field. Will had not moved from where he had dropped, and neither had Marduke, who had rolled over and covered his face.

All of them looked up and saw him.

Warren stood tall and defiant, the crystallized and powdered ink drifting off him in small dark streamers carried away by a cool breeze. The ground around him was scorched for several yards.

He was majestic. He was triumphant. He was also left wearing nothing but his boots and underwear, the rest of his clothing atomized by the explosion.

"Hmm," thought Magenta, "I never figured him for tighty whities."

"Well, that clears up one rumor," thought Victoria.

Layla did not know what to think.

Catching the sun's light, two tiny rings of steel shined, one in each of the nipples of Warren's rippling, rock-hard pectorals.

"Why's it so cold all of a sudden?" Asked Warren. He then noticed everyone staring at him.

"What?" he said, and then he looked down.

"Great…I better be having that dream again," he grumbled out loud.

Marduke could not take his eyes off Warren. He felt the same strange pulling in his heart that he had had for years…the same feeling that had also extended to Layla so suddenly. How was this possible? Villains weren't supposed to have hearts, yet his was going in two directions at once. He wished he could say something…anything to either or both of them, but he didn't dare…not with so many people around…not with the chances of his mother watching even if she knew the truth already.

While everyone else was distracted with the "show", Balthazar had managed to extract himself from the limbs of the now downed oak tree and was trying to figure out what to do. Not exactly a genius, he stuck by what had always worked for him…brute force.

He snuck up and grabbed Ethan by the back of his neck, his pain-touch causing the boy to go stiff and squeal. Everyone turned at that, and Balthazar grinned menacingly at them.

"Nobody move," he growled, "well, except for Marduke and Loki, but the rest of you…you too Vicky…don't anybody move or we'll find out how high this geek's threshold for pain is."

Then Ethan melted.

Balthazar had been too busy trying to get free of the tree to have seen Ethan use his power, so he was not expecting what happened. Fear shot through his powerful frame as he looked at the multicolored puddle at his feet. Had he just killed this kid? His touch was powerful, but he had never disintegrated so much as a fly with it before. He actually dropped to his hands and knees over the pool, his eyes wide with worry.

"Kid?" asked Balthazar, not sure if he was really expecting an answer, "kid, are you okay?"

Ethan suddenly surged up and shot into Balthazar's mouth, instantly filling his mouth, throat and nose solid. Balthazar went into total panic at not being able to breathe and tried to perform a Heimlich on himself, but he only burned up what little oxygen was still in his lungs. It didn't take long for him to pass out. Once he quit moving, Ethan flowed out and the vacuum created pulled air back into Balthazar's lungs and he was breathing again, though still unconscious.

"Yeah," said Ethan returning to his solid form and adjusting his glasses, "I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

"Dude," said Zach, "that was totally sick. Do it again!"

Marduke had had enough. Everyone's attention was on Balthazar, but he was going to make somebody pay for this, and the tall blond spaz was the perfect target. Before anyone could move Marduke fired his eyebeams as Zach, not caring he was hitting him in the back.

Zach froze in place as the beams struck him. Then, even in broad daylight, Zach's luminescence was there for all to see as the energies of Marduke's eyebeams flowed around it like water around a wall.

There was a massive feedback that shot back at Marduke, striking him in his eyes and hurling him backward to fall to the ground.

"AAAAHHH!" Marduke screamed at the pain, "MY EYES! I CAN'T SEE!"

Marduke was panicking. How did things get so out of hand? Why had he let Balthazar talk him into this stupid macho stunt? What would happen now? Was he permanently blind? Would he never be able to lay eyes on Layla…or Warren…ever again?

A powerful pair of hands grabbed him. Victoria?

"Easy pal, I've got you."

It was Will.

Why was he helping him?

He felt cold water hit his face.

His vision started to grow brighter, but it was like his pupils were dilated. That he could live with. Marduke tried to focus on Will, who was standing over him next to the fire hydrant he had opened with his bare hand to get the water for Marduke's eyes.

"Come on Marduke," said Will, "let's stop this. I never wanted to fight to begin with."

Again, Marduke did not know what to do. He looked around with his vision clearing, and saw that Drake and Aaron were gone, Balthazar was just sitting up but still out of it, and Loki was more interested in bombarding the purple girl with endless questions than calling back his pet monster which was apparently gone for good anyway.

He looked at Will; the friendly smile, the puppy eyes, the extended hand of friendship even after having fought with him twice in less than twenty four hours.

"No wonder everyone likes you," Marduke thought.

Marduke was confused. He had done as his mother wanted, but when he deviated to what he wanted he had ended up being as big a jerk as his younger brother. He had let Balthazar tease and goad him into this fight out of stupid pride, and all they had done was tear up some streets, damage property, panic people and possibly expose everyone's secret identities.

"Mom is going to kill me…" he said for the second time that day.

As if on cue a clap of thunder and an explosion of green fire announced the arrival of Lucretia Mandragore in all her legendary dark glory. She wore a black and purple dress that reached the ground, but was slit up the sides to the knees for free movement. About her shoulders flowed a black cape held by a golden skull-shaped clasp. Her shoulder-length black hair was unbound, and blew about though there was no breeze to stir it. Rings shimmered on her long fingers tipped with two inch-long black fingernails, and her blue eyes seemed to burn with a threatening fire from within.

Layla could not help but notice the resemblance between her and Warren's mother; it was like looking at a strange photographic negative of the other woman when it came to features and color, not to mention demeanor. While Warren's mother was like a strong, beautiful and kind queen from a fairy tale, this woman was more like the evil queen from Snow White and Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty combined into one. Beautiful yes, but also powerful, dangerous and cunning.

She remembered the warning about her that Angelica Peace had given.

"I see that Loki is not the only one I need to make sure the child safety locks are on for," she glared at her oldest son, her disappointment almost a physical blow.

"Mother," Victoria stepped forward, "did you do this?"

"Victoria," said Lucretia, surprised by her daughter's question, "of course not. In case you have forgotten I have approved of this from the start. I am sorry that these hooligan brothers of yours have disturbed this lovely afternoon for you and your new friends."

"You do?" asked Will, stepping forward to stand next to Victoria.

"I do a lot dear, could you be more specific?" asked Lucretia.

"Approve of me and Victoria?"

"Oh, of course," smiled Lucretia, suddenly no longer the threatening villain of everyone's childhood, but now a doting mother, "I think it shows she has good taste in men…and friends," she said nodding to the others.

"Speaking of which," she said, noticing Warren, "aren't you cold dear? Still, while every young female here with an ounce of estrogen may appreciate the…display…I think we need something a little more appropriate."

She gestured, and suddenly Warren was once again wearing his shirt, jacket and jeans, all clean and new.

"Uh…thanks," he said, not knowing for sure what to say to this woman who was once his mother's archenemy.

"You are welcome," said Lucretia with a smile. She remembered the last time she had seen Warren…so small and frail as he started the road to recovery after his ordeal when his powers first manifested. Now he was so tall and strong, the image of his father. She wondered if Baron was as proud of him as he should be.

"Now then," said Lucretia, ending her musings, "we shall have a serious talk once we get home." Her words were directed at her sons, who had gotten to their feet and gathered before her with their heads down, though Loki kept sneaking glances over at Magenta.

"Brawling in the street like common thugs," she said, shaking her head, "you were raised better than that. What kind of an example are you two setting for your younger sister and brother?"

She turned to Victoria and smiled.

"Dear, you stay here with your new friends…I shall send for you later. All of you enjoy the rest of the afternoon…Victoria can easily afford to buy you all lunch, and don't worry about anyone discovering your identities…for some reason everyone seems to think this was caused by an exploding gas line."

With that there was another clap of thunder and explosion of green flame. When it was gone, so were Lucretia and all three Mandragore boys.

"Is your mother always so dramatic?" Will asked Victoria.

"Oh that's nothing," she smiled, "you should see Daddy when he's in the mood. He puts on a REAL show."

They, and nearly everyone else, laughed at that.

Except for Warren. He had noticed something that had escaped the others.

"Where's Layla?" he asked.

The laughter suddenly stopped. She had been there a moment ago until…

Until the Mandragores had disappeared…taking her with them.

To be continued


	7. Chapter 7

**CRUSH**

_**Chapter 7**_

Strange Interlude 

Layla felt a strange tugging sensation and a moment of dizziness. Her vision blurred for an instant and she almost stumbled, but quickly regained her balance.

Her senses were filled with a wide variety of sensations; cool long grass under her still bare feet, a light breeze touching her hair, the sound of a nearby stream, and the smell of different flowers.

Her vision cleared and she found herself in what looked like the heart of an old growth forest with enormous trees, ancient and stately. Countless varieties of flowers created a rainbow weaving throughout the lush grass, and a few fat, moss-covered boulders sat scattered about.

It was like a forest out of "Lord of the Rings".

Layla then felt it; a sensation that could only be described as countless voices trying to whisper to her at once, though she did not hear them with her ears so much as in her mind.

It was the trees…the flowers…all the plants.

They were welcoming her.

She had always been able to communicate with plants on a very basic level; to get them to move or grow or shrink, but this was different. She could actually "hear" them in a way she had never imagined…or dared to.

Curious, she placed her hand on one particular huge ancient oak tree and felt a flood of warmth and wisdom engulf her. It was like meeting an ancient ancestor.

"I see you approve of my little grove," came a voice behind her. Layla turned to see Lucretia Mandragore, now wearing a black pantsuit with the skull clasp from before now a large pin on her lapel.

"It certainly approves of you," the witch smiled.

"Victoria," said Will, looking her in the eye, "where's Layla?"

"I…I don't know," said Victoria, as confused as everyone else.

"Could your mother…DID your mother take her?"

"She…she might," said Victoria, "but I have no idea why."

"This is BULL," snarled Warren, stepping forward as his fists burst into flame, "where's Layla! Tell us or…"

"I…don't…know," repeated Victoria, not backing down from Warren one step.

"What's your crazy mother done with my…with Layla?" Warren growled.

"Don't you DARE," Victoria growled back, "don't you dare say anything bad about my parents, Warren Peace, not after all they did for you and your mother!"

Warren could not deny Victoria's words. If not for the Mandragores Warren would have certainly died and his mother would have also perished of grief at losing both him and his father. He lowered his hands and the flames sputtered out.

"Sorry," he mumbled gruffly, "I just…"

"You're worried," said Victoria, gently placing a hand on his broad shoulder like she did it all the time, "I know. But Mother wouldn't harm Layla or let anything bad happen to her."

"Then where is she?" asked Will.

Victoria could only shrug her massive shoulders sadly.

Layla was naturally afraid. Out of instinct she tried to have the plants rise up and interpose themselves between herself and Lucretia or the trees to grab and hold her.

All she received in response was the equivalent of a firm but gentle "no" from the plants.

Lucretia smiled gently, trying to soothe Layla's fears.

"Don't be afraid," she said, "if I truly meant to harm so much as a single hair on your head this entire forest would turn on me in an instant. I dare say that, for you, this is the safest place in the world."

Layla was at a loss for words. The past day had been a mad roller coaster ride of extremes, encounters, and events she had had neither time nor means to assimilate and understand. She was usually the voice of reason and council, and now found herself in need of both. Though confused and on the verge of tears, she held them back, trying to be brave.

"My poor dear," said Lucretia, "this HAS been quite a series of events, especially for one so young. I'll wager you haven't hardly eaten either…"

As if response, a bell began to toll in the distance.

"Splendid," Lucretia smiled, "just in time for tea. Come dear, join me for some refreshments."

She held out her hand and Layla hesitantly took it, noticing how cool the older woman's touch was. As she was led away she felt the voice of the ancients trees;

"You are safe."

They left the forest and came to a meadow that held a huge dark green canopy underneath which was an antique table set for a small feast. In addition to pots of steaming tea there were a variety of meatless sandwiches and cookies the likes of which Layla had only seen in extravagant store windows. At Lucretia's gesture she sat in a comfortable green chair that seemed to mold itself to fit her body and relax her.

"Here we go," said Lucretia, "this is a special herbal blend of my own I think you will find interesting. It calms the nerves while awakening the senses." She filled a delicate china teacup with the rich smelling brew and handed it to Layla, who had given in to her hunger and was eating a watercress sandwich from a nearby tray.

She was hesitant to drink the tea, but remembered the "words" of the trees. After her daughter Victoria had saved Layla from harm three times in just the past hour, it was unlikely Lucretia would harm Layla. She sipped the warm liquid and found it delicious as it did what Lucretia said it would.

"Now then," said Lucretia after she poured herself a cup of tea and sat next to Layla in another green chair, "let's talk about the future, shall we?"

"There's gotta be something we can do," said Zach, "maybe we oughta call Will's parents or Warren's mom. They'd know what to do."

"Oh yeah," said Warren, "I'd LOVE to tell my mom I just let her old enemy kidnap my…kidnap a friend of mine. I can imagine Stronghold's dad's reaction…"

"I'm sorry," said Victoria.

"It's not your fault," said Will, "this whole afternoon…this whole weekend has been crazy for everyone."

"Because of me," said Victoria.

"Because of your FAMILY," said Will, "and we can't blame you for that. Look at me and Warren…we're friends despite our families' differences."

"Actually it's just our dads," said Warren, "my mom doesn't hate anybody…not even your folks, Vicky."

"Don't call me Vicky," Victoria smiled, "and I'm glad to hear that."

"Okay," said Magenta, "if "Bulldozer Barbie" here doesn't have any ideas, how ARE we getting Layla back? If we call anybody's parents or even somebody from school it's likely to start a war."

"Maybe I can help," said a familiar voice.

It was Marduke.

"What about the future?" asked Layla, suddenly feeling defensive again.

"Besides that you will have one?" replied Lucretia with a smile. "You need not be so on edge with me dear, I would think that one who does not like to put labels on things would be more…receptive to others' views."

Layla couldn't argue with that.

"I…I know I TRY not to labels things and people…but you have a very formidable reputation."

"I know," sighed Lucretia, "animate the idols of Easter Island to create an unstoppable army of stone warriors ONCE and it sticks to you forever."

Layla wasn't sure if she was joking or not until she caught the little smile pulling at the corners of Lucretia' mouth.

"I…I'd like to ask you something."

"Feel free, my child,"

"Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?"

"Yes," smiled Lucretia as she sipped her tea.

Warren's hands again burst into flame as he took a step towards Marduke.

"Now YOU," snarled Warren, "I've got NO problem sticking an apple in your mouth and barbecuing you…"

Marduke swallowed hard. This was a nightmare for him. For years he had wanted to finally meet Warren face to face, but definitely not under these circumstances. The last time he had seen Warren, he had just recovered from the fever that nearly killed him and Marduke had given him a fire resistant teddy bear while he slept. His parents had sadly forbidden him from seeing Warren since.

"Wait," said Will, grabbing Warren by his arm to make him stop, "let's hear what he has to say."

Marduke was grateful to Will. He had no desire to fight with Warren, not even in self-defense. He tried to compose himself and focus totally on Will, but his eyes wanted to stray and look at Warren.

"Layla is safe," he said, "she's with Mother in…the grove."

"The grove?" Victoria's eyes nearly popped out of her head, "but NOBODY goes into the grove…not even Daddy."

"Well, Layla's there now…and it likes her."

"What's this "grove" you two are talking about?" asked Will.

"It's a place Mother refers to as a…I don't know, some new age or old world or something term…anyway it's a "wellspring of the earth". Whatever that means."

"It means it's a source of nature magic," Ethan popped in, "anything connected to earth related powers."

He then noticed everyone staring at him, totally stunned.

"What?" asked Ethan, "It's in Basic Magic 101 with Professor Harkness."

"Dude," grinned Zach, "isn't that…like…a CHICK class?"

"Hey," said Ethan as Magenta elbowed Zach in his ribs, "there's a LOT of male magic heroes…Dr. Strange, Dr. Fate…"

"Harry Potter," Warren said, trying not to grin.

"What do you mean it "likes" her?" asked Will, trying to get back on the subject.

"Its…well…it's alive. Sentient. Intelligent."

"Layla's being held by talking plants?" asked Zach. "Cool."

"They don't talk," said Marduke, feeling like he was trying to explain things to a five year old, "at least not that I know of, but Mother communicates with it…them sometimes."

"Why would she take Layla there?"

"I think," hesitated Marduke, "Mother wants her for her apprentice."

There was silence for several minutes between the two women, broken only by the singing of birds and the whisper of the breeze across the clearing.

"You've loved Will nearly your whole life, haven't you?"

Layla didn't know what to say. She only nodded her head.

"I can always tell," smiled Lucretia, "young love is so precious. Worth more than all the riches and power in the world…and this is from someone who's tried to conquer the world on several occasions."

Layla could not help but smile at that. It was so strange to hear a villain joke about such a thing to begin with. She had never really thought about what it must be like for the bad guys…if they had lives outside of trying to rule the world, looting Maxville or just being an overall threat to humanity.

"But here's a piece of advice from someone who has been there," said Lucretia, leaning forward to have Layla's undivided attention, "first love does not necessarily mean the ONLY love."

Layla felt herself blushing. She knew Lucretia had to be referring to Warren. Even after homecoming and she and Will had gotten back together she had still found herself attracted to Warren. When the gang was together she could feel him looking at her with that same sad look as when she had first seen him watching Will in the cafeteria. She always wanted to take his face in her hands and look into his eyes and tell him she did feel the same way for him…but there was Will.

Will…who she had caught kissing Victoria in front of everyone at LIMBO yesterday. Who she had just caught kissing her again just a while ago before the other Mandragores had attacked. Who had…

Layla felt so confused. How was it possible to love two men at once?

Lucretia put her hand on Layla's, smiling sadly at her.

"Let it out Layla. Let it all out."

Layla finally began to cry.

"Her apprentice?" Will was stunned.

"Layla's gonna be a witch too?" Zach was in awe, his mind whirling at the potential, "can she do that with already having powers?"

"Marduke, you moron," said Victoria, "Mother's not going to make Layla her apprentice, and you know it."

"No I don't," said Marduke, "she could be."

"I'm sorry he scared you, everybody," said Victoria, "but Marduke's not really too bright sometimes. That's why he's not in the "mastermind" division at his school."

"Hey," said Marduke, "I am so smart! Mom didn't tell me to use the ring to imitate Warren so I could pump Will for information about Layla; that was MY idea. Uh-oh."

The last part came out because Marduke realized everyone had heard him.

Victoria crossed her arms before her broad chest in triumph; Marduke had Daddy's weakness for getting easily flustered, especially if he felt he was being insulted.

"So THAT'S what I saw,' said Will, remembering the shape changing trick Marduke had pulled earlier in the fight, "why did you want to know about Layla?"

"Because," said Marduke, blushing, "I…when I talked to her earlier…I like her."

Now everyone was staring at him. Marduke wished he could teleport back home, but Dad had ordered him to stay there and explain EVERYTHING that had been going on the past day, and the teleporter would not work until then.

"WHEN did you meet Layla?" asked Will.

"Just this morning, after she…" he almost started laughing at the memory, "she "pulped" you. I used the ring to get close to her, but she figured out I wasn't Warren and decked me…twice." Marduke left out the stolen kiss. Some things were worth getting punished over.

"Only twice?" asked Magenta.

"I talked to her and…she's such a nice girl, not like the ones in my school. They're cute but…"I want this, I want that, I want to rule the world…blah, blah, blah." I just…I guess I just wanted her to notice me."

"By attacking us?"

"I'm a super villain," Marduke shrugged is shoulders, "that's how we usually get attention. I'm sorry everybody."

It was simply not in Will's nature to hold a grudge. Even after he first fought Warren in the cafeteria he wanted to shake hands with him and make peace. After "Save the Citizen" he tried again but Warren had just stalked off. Now they were friends. Could he be any less gracious with this guy who was the brother of his…what was Victoria? His girlfriend. Yes…and maybe more.

As much as it still hurt Will to think about what he had done to her again, it seemed that Layla would have more than one shoulder to lean on if Marduke was telling the truth about his feelings.

"Hey," smiled Will, holding out his hand to Marduke, "I know how liking…or loving somebody makes you do stupid things. I could write a book."

While Will and Marduke shook hands, Warren's eyes narrowed as he looked at Marduke, then the silver ring on his hand.

Lucretia produced a large embroidered handkerchief and handed it to Layla.

Layla felt embarrassed at her display until she saw that Lucretia had nothing but sympathy for her.

"Feel better now?"

Layla nodded, then took a sip of cool tea to relieve her dry throat.

"Why do you think I love Warren?"

"The question is why DO you love him?"

Layla had to bite back a hundred reasons; his smile, his gruff persona that masked his gentle nature, his wild unruly hair, the way he squinted when you talked to him like he was focusing on every word you said, his sense of humor…

She then noticed how Lucretia was smiling at her…did she need to blow her nose?

"You've answered the question."

"I…didn't say anything."

"I could see it in your eyes, my dear."

Layla felt embarrassed. She had attacked Will out of jealousy and anger because he was with another girl while she had been secretly pining for Warren. But she had never acted on her longings, while it seemed every time she turned around Will was with another girl.

"What should I do?"

"We all make our own destiny," replied Lucretia, "look into your heart, deeper than you ever have before. There you will find your answer."

"Could you tell me something a little less…Jedi sounding?"

"Well, at least you didn't say "Sith"," laughed Lucretia.

"Let me tell you a story. I was in love with Warren's father…back in the day. I would do the most outlandish things to get his attention; animate zombies, summon demons, try to awaken an elder god…which is very stupid as all they do is just roll over and go back to sleep, not to mention the morning breath…but I was a witch in love.

"Instead I nearly always ended up fighting Angelica. I still don't know how she kept overcoming the things I threw at her.

"It was when I first met and teamed up with Barnabas that I realized I had only been carrying a very long-lived schoolgirl crush on Baron…especially when I learned that he and Angelica were engaged to be married. I was devastated…how could I possibly compete with her…but you've met her, haven't you?"

Layla nodded. Angelica Peace was definitely not a woman she would want to compete with for the attention of a man…or anything else.

"That was when Barnabas spoke up and declared his own love for me. Oh, the things that man said…well, let's just say he is the reason why all of our children are such incurable romantics. The rest is history."

"I see what you mean," said Layla, "I shouldn't be blind to what is in front of me because of my own wants…or what I think I want."

"You are wise beyond your years," said Lucretia, "would that more of us could see that."

"But…it still hurts."

"Young hearts break so easily…but thankfully they can also heal quickly"

"I always thought…Will and I…"

"No one says you can't still be friends…isn't that what you've always been? If I know my daughter she will insist on it. She wants to be your friend as well."

"Do the Commander and Jetstream know she's YOUR daughter?"

"Not yet," smiled Lucretia, "but I'm just dying to see the looks on their faces when they find out."

"Why do you keep looking at me?" Warren had kept catching Marduke glancing at him, and then turning away when Warren saw him.

"Sorry," said Marduke, embarrassed. "It's just…so much history between our families and we've…never met until today. I'm really sorry for all the trouble I've caused."

"Okay," said Warren, accepting Marduke's outstretched hand in a firm handshake. But before he could release it, Warren yanked Marduke close to him.

"You EVER use that freaking ring to impersonate me again," Warren growled into Marduke's ear with breath as hot as a desert wind, "and I'll melt it off you…along with your hand."

Marduke only nodded his understanding as Warren released him, gave him a final scowl, then turned to stalk off and talk with the others.

Marduke felt a jagged knife go through his heart. He could only stare at Warren's back and again wonder how things had gotten so out of hand. Mother had told him to only use the doppelganger ring to help Layla along, not pull what he did with Will both at his house and during the fight. Now it had cost him something he had always secretly longed for. It had cost him Warren's attention…his friendship. It was his punishment.

"Well," smiled Lucretia, "I think it's time we got you back to your friends…they're probably worried sick about you."

"That sounds like them," said Layla.

"Such concern is touching…cherish it always."

"Do I need to do anything?"

"Simply close your eyes dear," said Lucretia, "it helps with the momentary vertigo from traveling this way."

Lucretia stood up, and placed a hand on Layla's shoulder.

"I am so glad we had this little talk, dear. I hope that it's helped you in some way."

"It has," smiled Layla, "thank you."

"The pleasure is all mine," replied Lucretia, "it's so nice to have someone of your generation here in my little part of the world. I'm afraid my own children do not share my appreciation for the quiet of nature as you do."

"It's…it's beautiful," whispered Layla.

"And you are always welcome here," said Lucretia.

With that she gestured, and Layla vanished, sent back to where she had been.

Just as Lucretia reseated herself at the table, she heard a sound behind her and turned to see her husband strolling up the path to the canopy.

"I'm too late to meet our little elven princess?" he said sadly.

"I'm afraid so," said Lucretia, noticing Barnabas had already picked out a nickname for Layla. He was getting more sentimental by the day, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"A shame," he said as he seated himself and poured a cup of tea, "still it's best she get back to the others. They should have just enough time to get ready."

"Ready?" asked Lucretia, her eyes narrowing in surprise as she looked at her husband.

"Barnabas, you old devil, what have you got planned?"

Now it was Dr. Mandragore's turn to smile like the cat that had just swallowed the canary as he took a sip of tea.

To be continued.


	8. Chapter 8

**CRUSH**

**Chapter 8**

"**Just Your Average, Ordinary Everyday Kids"**

It was ingenious.

It was unprecedented.

It was the greatest disappearance of super-powered teens in the history of super-powered beings.

And it was so simple.

On that particular Saturday afternoon, word started spreading amongst the kids that there was going to be a huge party held in LIMBO, the place considered neutral ground for the ones who attended the super schools; free admission, free food, and lots of loud music.

They couldn't resist.

The outside of LIMBO was lit up like a Christmas tree and music could be heard out in the streets as the kids entered.

They never made it past the front door.

That was because the door was actually a teleportation device that grabbed the individuals, turned them to energy, then whisked them away to what was basically an enormous containment unit, where the energy forms sparkled like the countless stars in the night sky.

"Beautiful," smiled Dr. Mandragore, basking in the light, "they are all absolutely beautiful."

"Dad," Loki called from his post at the master control panel, "we're almost to full capacity."

"Already?" Dr. Mandragore was surprised. He knew he had cast a wide net as every major city with a super population had a LIMBO in it for the kids, but very few knew there was actually a chain of such places.

Every one of them secretly owned and operated by Dr. Barnabas Mandragore.

Dr. Mandragore hurried and donned the jacket that was part of the Victorian-era styled outfit he had chosen to wear. Once it was on he primped in front of a mirror to get his look just right. It was then he noticed he had absent-mindedly donned the very same suit he had worn in the last fight between the Heroic Six and the Evil Eight.

Why not? Today was the anniversary. And he had to admit he was surprised that it still fit so well after almost…what, thirteen years?

He paused for a moment as he fondly remembered that grand time.

At least the parts he could remember before his impact with the street when his giant scorpion-robot collapsed under him thanks to the efforts of the Commander and Baron Battle.

"Daaaad!"

"Alright, alright," Dr. Mandragore said to his impatient son, "buzz your mother and make it clear that she is NOT to be "fashionably late" for this. I'll meet her on the parapet."

"When can I come and watch too?" called Loki.

"You stay here until your mother or I say you can," Dr. Mandragore told his youngest child, "if things go smoothly, it will be only be a few minutes anyway."

Dr. Mandragore left the lab and headed down a long hallway to another particular door. He opened it to step out onto an enormous balcony and found Lucretia already there. She wore an elegant black and purple dress with her hair up in an aristocratic style and decorated with amethysts.

"My love," smiled Dr. Mandragore as he took his wife' black-gloved hand and kissed it gently, "this will be a night to remember."

"Forever," Lucretia said.

* * *

Layla appeared without fanfare only a few feet away from her friends. Instantly they all surrounded her, each asking if she was all right and about what had happened. 

After she answered everyone that she was okay and everything was fine, she turned her attention to the two who had stayed back; Victoria and Marduke.

First she walked to Marduke and, standing on tiptoe, kissed him on his cheek. His eyes went wide with wonder and joy, but he was unable to ask why.

"Your methods stink," Layla said, "but you meant well. Lose that stupid ring and let people like you for who you are. We might surprise you."

Marduke wanted to touch the cheek Layla had kissed, but was afraid of ruining the moment and sensation.

Layla then turned to Victoria.

"Thanks for saving me," she said, and took Victoria by her hands. "I'd like for us to be friends. Maybe you could give me tips on getting my hair as beautiful as yours."

"Are you kidding?" said Victoria, "I'd LOVE to have red hair like yours…"

As the two began speaking in the strange language of teenage girls, it got worse as Layla called Magenta over and it became a three-way conversation. Then all the boys could do was stand around and try to figure out what to do next.

* * *

"I wish Royal Pain was here to see this," said Dr. Mandragore. 

"Whatever for?" asked Lucretia.

"So she could eat her heart out," he grinned. "She sought to abscond with the student body of Sky High, and I have cleaned out the equivalent of FIVE such institutions with only a few hours of preparation. NOW who is the SUPER-VILLAIN!"

"Definitely you," purred Lucretia. It had been a long time since she had seen the hellfire in her husband's eyes and heard the maniacal glee in his voice. She had to admit, it still thrilled her after nearly twenty years of marriage and four children.

Dr. Mandragore pressed a hidden button on the balcony railing, completing a certain circuit.

* * *

When it had gone suddenly quiet, that was the cue that something was going to happen. 

Layla came over to Will and smiled. At first he didn't know if that was a good thing or not until she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek as well.

"I'm sorry about this morning," she said, slightly blushing with embarrassment.

"That's okay," grinned Will, "I deserved it. I totally blew you off and I'm really sorry for that. I guess…I guess I took you for granted again. You've been a better friend…a better girlfriend than I ever deserved."

"Still friends?" she asked.

"As long as you'll have me," he said, trying to keep from sounding mushy in front of the other guys.

* * *

Two of the energy spheres appeared on the balcony, then condensed and assumed their true forms. One was a powerfully built man in an armor-like white and red costume with a flowing blue cape; the other was a beautiful auburn haired woman in a similar, though more revealing costume. They both looked surprised for a moment, but instantly took defensive postures when they saw the Mandragores. They had originally gotten a call on the red phone about a giant flying octopus flying around town and were on their way to deal with it when they found themselves suddenly here. Of course they had no way of knowing they had been caught in the teleportation matrix and it was many hours later. 

"My dear Commander and Jetstream," beamed Dr. Mandragore, holding his arms open in a sign of welcome, "it's been far too long."

"Dr. Mandragore," said the Commander, still trying to get his bearings, "what are you up to?"

"The greatest coupe of all time," said Dr. Mandragore, hitting his melodramatic stride, "behold!"

With a flash the floor below the balcony was filled with possibly a few hundred super-powered teenagers who were as momentarily disoriented as the Commander and Jetstream had been. When they instantly recovered they spotted friends, rivals from other schools and kids they had never seen before. Some looked up and saw the Commander, Jetstream, and the Mandragores and knew something major was about to go down. Most had been babies during the last historic battle involving these two couples and their friends, and from the looks of it they were about to witness history again. A lot of the teen heroes to be were cheering the Commander and Jetstream, but there were plenty of villain wannabes rooting for the Mandragores and wondering how they could do something to sneak attack the heroes and get in the arch-villains' good graces.

"Behold, the collective student bodies of New Olympus Prep, the Darque Institute, my old school H.A.D.E.S., and both east and west coast branches of Sky High! A grand sight indeed…the next generation of heroes and villains, all gathered in one place, and for one purpose."

* * *

Layla then turned to Warren. "If I remember, didn't your mom tell you to take me to lunch? Could we make that dinner instead?" 

"Sure," said Warren, totally caught off guard about what was happening. It seemed she and Will had just…and she was talking to him like…

"Let's go then," she smiled, actually taking his hand in hers. Warren didn't know what to do, but he definitely didn't "flash" a burst of harmless flames like the last time she held his hand. He had no idea what was happening, but he decided to go along with it.

"Bye everybody," said Layla as she and Warren headed down the street, "I'll see you at school Monday."

She and Warren walked over to the enormous now quiet oak tree Layla had created during the fight to use against Balthazar and Herkimer. Without letting go of Warren's hand, Layla reached out with her free hand and touched the tree.

"You can rest now, big guy," she smiled.

With that the tree shrank down in the blink of an eye, returning to the small acorn it had originally been. It now sat in the palm of Layla's hand for a moment before she slipped it back into her jeans pocket.

Warren only shook his head and allowed a rare smile to play across his features for a moment.

"What?" asked Layla.

"I knew you were a tree hugger, but not a tree talker too," he said.

"I think you're going to find out a lot about me you didn't know, smart guy."

"That's a threat I can deal with," Warren replied.

* * *

"You're holding them for ransom," said the Commander. 

"If THAT was my purpose," laughed Dr. Mandragore, "why would I bring the villain kids here? Children of many of my friends and associates are down there, and I assure you I adore every one of them. Besides, why bring you two here?"

"Then what is this about?" asked Jetstream, for once as puzzled as her husband.

"Well, it IS about the children," Dr. Mandragore answered. "but not like you may think. Certain events have transpired within the past…oh, twenty four hours or so that have made me think about something that I, and you as parents as well, have overlooked for too long."

"Which is?"

"They don't know each other. Most stick to their classmates or others inside their own school, a few interact or know about others from a different one, but that's about it. Do you realize that when we were their age we were on a more intimate level with each other? We knew each other's real names, where we lived, birthdays, the whole thing.

"Sadly that has gone by the wayside. I personally blame the whole "grim and gritty" nonsense of the mid to late nineties; you couldn't tell the good guys from the bad at certain points. The old school mixers were discontinued. A Sky High student has not seen the inside of H.A.D.E.S., and vice versa, for almost a decade.

"But tonight…ah, tonight will make history, and that is why you two are here…to help chaperone the greatest super-teen party in history!"

* * *

As Warren and Layla left, Will turned back to Victoria. 

"What did you two talk about?"

"Girl stuff," she grinned, "you wouldn't understand."

"There's a LOT I'm thinking I don't understand anymore," said Will, feeling a little dumber than usual. At first he had been wondering why Layla had been with Warren at the start and now they were leaving together, but decided it wasn't his business. He had other things to deal with.

"So…" he said, "what do we do now?"

"I don't know about you guys," said Zach, "but if things are cool with everybody and there's no more flying octopus, maybe we can go scope out that party I heard that's goin' to be held at LIMBO tonight."

"That may be just what we need," smiled Will, "we'll meet you guys there."

Victoria and Will started walking off in one direction while Zach, Magenta and Ethan left in the other. Marduke, who had been watching Warren and Layla leave, was glad to see that the indicator light on his hand-held teleporter read it was again activated. He looked one last time at everyone, and with a sigh vanished back to his home.

* * *

"My young friends," Dr. Mandragore called out, his voiced amplified for all to hear, "welcome one and all to the party of all parties! You are all being taught and trained to be the next generation of champions and threats to freedom, humanity, and the world…but not tonight. 

"Tonight you are here as simply young men and women in search of each other. Tonight there is no good or evil, no heroes or villains, there is only you, my young friends. Eat, dance, and mingle. See someone who interests you? Go talk to them. Is there someone from another school you've heard of but don't know what to do? Go talk to them. Relax, laugh and love. You may meet your best friend…your archenemy…the love of your life. Do not let this chance pass you by."

With that the entire place lit up, revealing the grand ballroom of Mandragore Castle, which was as huge as a professional football stadium. In the direct center of the room what appeared to be an enormous mirror ball was actually an anti-gravity generator that would enable the kids to walk up the walls, across the ceiling and even float in mid-air if they liked. Tonight everyone could fly.

Unbelievably long tables were loaded to breaking with a feast of irresistible foods; every type of snack food, vegetable, fruit, and non-alcoholic beverage imaginable could be found. The place really came to life when one of the most popular bands in the world appeared at the far end of the grand ballroom on a huge stage and began playing as multi-colored lights filled the air. The dance began.

Victoria and Will had been in the crowd along with Zach, Magenta and Ethan, and heard the entire speech by Victoria's father. Victoria took Will by the hand and started to lead him through the crowd towards the balcony where their parents were. He stopped her, pulled her close, and rose into the air with her, flying over the crowd of mingling teens. Victoria felt a chill go through her body as she had totally forgotten Will could fly, and was loving the experience as much as she had the evening before.

Will and Victoria landed on the balcony, turning to the Commander and Jetstream.

"Mom, Dad," said Will, swallowing to get the lump in his throat down, "this is Victoria, the girl I was telling you about."

Both his parents gawked for a moment at the powerfully built girl Will introduced, but they instantly composed themselves.

"Hello dear," smiled Jetstream, taking Victoria's hand, "Will told us about you but…obviously not everything."

"I can see how you can do ten ton arm curls," blurted the Commander as his wife elbowed him in the ribs, "I mean, it's a real pleasure to meet you Victoria. Will was certainly bragging about you earlier…I mean…"

"Thank you Commander," Victoria blushed at Will's father's attempts to make light conversation, understanding what he was trying to say. No matter their age the guys with super strength usually came around to the subject no matter what, and she knew he was complimenting her in the awkward muscle-head way.

"Will," said Jetstream, "have you met Victoria's parents yet?"

"Well," Will started to say, not quite knowing how to tell his parents that Victoria's parents were the two arch-villains standing next to them, "you see…"

"Will only got to meet Mom for a few minutes," Victoria stepped in, "but he hasn't met Daddy yet so…"

Victoria turned Will around so he was facing Dr. Mandragore and Lucretia. Lucretia gave Will an encouraging wink that everything was going to be fine, but Dr. Mandragore looked like he was ready to vaporize Will on the spot.

"Daddy," beamed Victoria, "this is Will Stronghold. Will, this is my Daddy."

Will stuck out his hand in his customary good-natured handshake, but Dr. Mandragore looked at his hand for a moment like he was going to bite it off before he reached out and shook it firmly.

"I understand you and my daughter are…fond of each other," Dr. Mandragore hissed like a cobra, "is this true?"

"Y…yes sir, it is," Will had never felt so nervous since he had first powered up, especially since Dr. Mandragore wouldn't let go of his hand, holding it in an iron grip that Will was astounded at. This man was not supposed to have super powers, but he couldn't get away from him.

Finally Dr. Mandragore released him, and Will smiled nervously, hoping he didn't throw up on the man's very expensive looking shoes or say something really stupid at this critical moment.

"Very well then," smiled Dr. Mandragore with all the charm of a circling shark, "why don't you two go out and have fun. We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other later…William."

Both Lucretia and Victoria were trying hard to keep from laughing at Will's flustered reaction. Victoria led Will away, while he kept throwing quick glances over his shoulder as if he expected Dr. Mandragore to fire off some kind of death ray at him. At the edge of the balcony Will started to fly again, but didn't need to as Victoria pushed him into the anti-gravity field and they both rose into the air and began slowly dancing together.

* * *

In the crowd below, Balthazar Mandragore sulked. He had been totally humiliated in the battle this afternoon by the little redhead and that living puddle, and was not in the mood for a dance. To top it off his mother had forced him down and redone his hair so that it looked completely blonde to the roots, then made him put on a nice black suit albeit one with the sleeves missing to show off his monstrously muscled and tattooed arms. He stood with those arms folded across his broad chest and his lower lip sticking out, daring anyone to come near him. 

Someone took that dare.

"Hi," he heard a shy voice next to him say, "I don't think I've seen you before. Which school do you go to?"

"I don't," snarled Balthazar, "I'm a drop-out. You got a problem with…"

Balthazar saw that he was talking to a tall but rather cute blonde who was wearing a red, white and green outfit like she was expecting Christmas to hit at any second.

"I go to Sky High," she said, "I'm a freshman."

"So you're one of Stronghold's bunch, huh?"

"Well, I used to be," she blushed, "actually he used to be with us before he powered up. I'm a sidekick."

"Great," Balthazar thought to himself, "I attract a freaking Sky High sidekick. I don't need this.'

He was about to say something very rude, but the way she was looking at him made his mind go blank and he said something else.

"So, what's your power?"

"I…" she stopped for a second, embarrassed, "I turn into a big ball."

"Big ball of what?"

"No," she grinned, "a big ball. A big rubber ball. You know…bouncy, bouncy."

Balthazar was at a total loss for words. What a freaking lame power. But he just couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

"I…" she hesitated, "I love your arms. They're so…big. Are you super strong?"

"A little," said Balthazar, now coming out of his shell once his ego started getting stroked.

"Can I…" she blushed, "can I feel your muscles?"

Sweat broke out on Balthazar's forehead, but he instinctively flexed his right bicep for her. He was so caught off guard that he forgot to warn her of his real power until she touched his thick arm and squealed.

"Oh God," he said, "I'm sorry…I forgot to tell you I…"

She was giggling.

"You must generate electricity," she grinned, "don't worry. My skin's a lot like rubber…electricity isn't conducted through it. It just sort of…tickles."

Balthazar was about to faint. A girl…a pretty girl…she LIKED his pain touch…his tickle touch.

Balthazar did a quick double biceps pose, actually ripping the sides out of his shirt and jacket. He grinned at…

"What's your name?"

"Elise," smiled the rubber ball girl, "and you are."

"Balthazar," he muttered, knowing how lame it sounded.

"I like that name, it's biblical, isn't it?"

"Yeah," said Balthazar, "one of the three wise men."

"Well, mister wise man," said Elise, reaching out to place a hand on each offered bicep, "let's see you make me laugh."

As she started giggling again, Balthazar Mandragore felt his small heart grow three sizes that day.

* * *

The Mandragores turned to see the eagerly awaited looks on the Strongholds' faces. Jetstream was surprised, but not nearly as much as the Commander, and one could almost hear the gears turning in his head as he tried to make the final connection. 

"She's…YOUR daughter," he finally put the last piece of the puzzle together.

"I see he still gets that amusing befuddled look on his face at times," Lucretia said to Jetstream.

"Mmm-hmm," she answered, "and you noticed Will gets it too."

"Don't worry dear," Lucretia smiled, "Victoria will make sure he doesn't hurt himself trying to figure things out."

Both women laughed, heedless that their husbands were standing right there, though only one of them knew that the other had just been somewhat insulted.

"Well, now that that little awkward business is out of the way," Dr. Mandragore said, "I notice there isn't much dancing going on yet. Let's see if we can remedy that…"

With a courtly bow Dr. Mandragore took Jetstream by her gloved hand, gently kissing it.

"Josephine," Dr. Mandragore smiled, "would you do me the honor of accompanying me out onto the dance floor to show these pups how we…how do they say…"kick it old school style"?"

A deep blush spread across Jetstream's cheeks, and she grinned from ear to ear.

"Still the charmer, aren't you Barnabas?" she asked.

"Only with the loveliest of ladies," Dr. Mandragore smiled back as he started to lead her to the edge of the balcony.

"Josie…" said the Commander, surprised at what his wife was doing.

"Sorry Steve," she grinned back, "but he asked me first."

With that the two stepped off the balcony and the anti-gravity kicked in, allowing them to rise into the air alongside their son and daughter to dance like they had been doing it for years.

"My dear Commander," purred Lucretia as she slipped a hand around his thick arm just below his bulging bicep, "I do believe you're jealous."

The Commander only snorted, trying to hide his emotions and not doing a very good job of it. He had never been that good of a dancer even back in Sky High, and he knew Dr. Mandragore was just rubbing his nose in it.

"Oh, let him have his fun," Lucretia said, knowing how to get the Commander back in a good mood. She ran her free hand across the overly developed bicep and smiled, "My, you've been working out quite a bit over the years, haven't you?"

"Well, I don't like to brag," said the Commander, warming up to his favorite subject, "but I've had to overcome plateauing out a few times…"

Inspired by what they saw happening above, more and more couples began rising into the air and dancing about…some had only known each other a few minutes, others taking advantage of a chance they had waited years for.

It was as Dr. Mandragore had said; there were no heroes or villains, only young people looking for each other.

To be continued.

"Let's Get Rocked"

Def Lepard


	9. Chapter 9

**Crush**

**Chapter 9**

_**A Brand New Day**_

"If you want my love you got it

If you need my love you got it

I won't hide it

I won't throw your love away"

_If You Want My Love_

_Cheap Trick_

It was late morning, nearly afternoon as the sun shone through the windows and into the main dining room of Mandragore Castle. After the eventful night Dr. Mandragore decided the weather control machine that surrounded the island in a perpetual storm could use a different setting, and now a lovely spring day reigned outside.

Inside it was much quieter, but no less jubilant. The last of the super teens had been sent home safely hours ago, but the after effects of their presence could still be felt, having lifted a pervading sadness that had held the walls like an occupying force for too many years. Old ghosts were now gone.

Lucretia Mandragore sat at one end of the table, quite relaxed in a voluminous dark green robe. It had been the first time she could remember she wasn't wearing partial or all black…she just didn't feel the need for it now. She was sipping hot tea and enjoying some toast as she looked down the length of the table.

Next to her sat little Loki, who had been up way past his bedtime the night before, but he had been too excited from his "first super fight" as he kept bragging about what had happened in the streets of Maxville between he and his brothers and Will and his friends. He had also enjoyed all the teenagers being around, though there was no one actually his own age. Unfortunately his mischievous side had gotten the better of him at one point and he nearly spiked one of the punch bowls with a shrinking potion he had been aching to experiment with before Victoria and her new love Will Stronghold had caught him. Confiscating his potion, Victoria then shooed the little monster away. He had been ready to start a good pout…until he spotted her.

The beautiful black and purple dressed girl he had met at the "fight". The guinea pig girl named Magenta. Magenta…even her name was beautiful. What she was doing with the tall day-glow spazz named Zach was anybody's guess, but Loki didn't care. He was in love, and watched her from afar all night.

Now Loki sat next to his mother, trying to stay awake to finish the bowl of cereal he was trying to eat and dozing off between mouthfuls. He would just start to dream of Magenta in both her beautiful girl form or soft fluffy guinea pig shape when he would suddenly jerk awake, look around, and take another bite.

Lucretia was a little concerned for her youngest boy. The events of the entire weekend had doubtlessly overtaxed the little hellion, and he would need to get some sleep soon. She did wonder why the pajamas he was wearing were purple in color, and he had this disturbingly familiar look on his face she had seen very often, especially as of late.

Lucretia had the sinking feeling he was in love.

"That makes all four," she jokingly grumbled to herself.

At the other end of the table sat Dr. Mandragore, once again perusing the papers, only this time he was looking for articles about the incident from yesterday, including sightings of the giant flying octopus and how the rampaging monster had apparently tore open a gas main, triggering an explosion that threw the beast out into the bay and killed it.

The last part was very wrong. Herkimer was safely in one of the coves beneath the island, his slight burns from getting blasted by Warren Peace long since treated and he comfortably rested amongst the other sea monsters Loki had created, ready and waiting to come out and play again.

Dr. Mandragore was also very tired, with his eyes bloodshot from having so little rest preparing and initiating his huge surprise on the teenage heroes and villains of the nation. Of course the fact he spent half the night dancing with Jetstream, the mother of Will Stronghold, did a lot to tire him out as well. He decided that he wasn't as young as he used to be, and he would definitely take a nap after brunch.

"Barnabas," Lucretia said, "have you seen the other children this morning?"

"Could you be a little more specific," he replied, "if my head count was correct I believe we had about six hundred and forty-seven children running amok here until about…oh, four a.m. east coast time, technically still this morning."

Lucretia smiled. The only time Barnabas was such a smart-mouth was when he was in a good mood, and apparently he was still basking in the glow from the party. Whether it was because he himself had such a good time or the fact his name would be forever linked to it, feeding his ego, was redundant.

"I mean OUR children, dear," she smiled, "you know, our older sons and daughter."

"No, I can't say that I have," said Dr. Mandragore, "the last time I saw Victoria was after she introduced Will to me, and Balthazar was with a rather tall but cute blonde girl. I haven't seen Marduke at all, come to think of it."

Lucretia frowned. She had not seen Marduke at the party either, even though the object of his affection Anastasia the "Freeze Girl" had been there, there had been no sign of him. He had been acting odd ever since yesterday morning when he had been sent to "nudge" Layla in Warren's direction. She was getting suspicions about Marduke having changed the object of his affection to someone else, and she also had a large suspicion who it was…or more likely who they might be.

"I'll be back directly," she told her husband, and vanished in a burst of smoke that startled Loki awake again. Through bleary eyes he saw his mother was gone, and decided to rest his head on the table for a moment before she returned and scolded him for his bad manners. Within seconds he was snoring loudly.

Lucretia reappeared outside the door leading to Marduke's private chambers. She had wondered how to approach her son about what was going on, and decided that perhaps this time it would be better to be simply direct instead of the usual serpentine maneuverings she was used to doing to get information from others.

The large oak door was unlocked, and Lucretia entered to the gentle strains of violin music coming from somewhere. She made her way through the common room and on to the rooms her oldest boy had for his own; past the weight room and private sauna, past the entertainment room with the monstrous plasma television with full theatre level sound system, and on to the inner chambers. There, in a room overlooking the western half of the island, was Marduke.

This was his music room. Though only seventeen years old Marduke was a bit of a prodigy with music, having learned the piano and violin with great enthusiasm. He had taken to writing his own music of late, and it was rumored he had written a new song specifically for the commencement of his graduation at H.A.D.E.S. in a few weeks.

But now he seemed to be working on something else. Something haunting that seemed to clutch at Lucretia's once dark heart in a way she knew all too well.

It was a song of sadness and sorrow…of losing something one never knew was so treasured until it was gone.

Marduke stood bathed in the spring sunshine. He wasn't wearing a shirt or shoes, only the jeans he had worn from the eventful day before. From the mop of black hair and the slight stubble adorning his cheeks it was a sign he had not slept the entire night. He continued playing for a minute before he stopped, sensing his mother's presence.

"I never had a chance, Mom," he said, his voice cracking, "I…they…"

Lucretia, for all her past sins, was still a loving mother who never discouraged her children from giving in to their emotions. She approached her oldest son from behind and placed a hand on his trembling shoulder.

"Let it out," she whispered, "let it ALL out."

Marduke, unheeding of any damage he may do to the priceless Stradivarius violin he was holding, let it fall to the floor as he turned and buried his face in his mother's shoulder, his body shaking with deep sobs.

Finally after several minutes Marduke was able to compose himself and caught his breath. He stepped back to look at the large wet spot he had made on the shoulder of his mother's robe, and realized it was the first time in his life she had not worn black.

"Feel better now?" she asked, uncaring about the state of her robe.

"I…I think so," said Marduke, still wiping a few remaining tears in his eyes.

"It's about Layla isn't it?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah,' he said, looking for something to blow his nose with when his mother produced a long silk handkerchief from thin air like a Las Vegas magician and handed it to him. He put it to good use.

"You have fallen in love with her," said Lucretia, "and it is understandable."

She then placed her hand on his shoulder.

"You also love Warren, don't you?"

Marduke almost jumped. Was it that obvious?

"Yes…" he said, "but NOT…that way…"

"I meant as someone you want to get to know better, to be with…to be good friends with. I believe the quaint term for it nowadays is "man crush"."

"Yes," said Marduke, now finding himself unable to look his mother in the face until she reached from his shoulder to his chin and gently forced him to look at her.

"NEVER be ashamed of your feelings," Lucretia mildly scolded her son, "where would your sister be now if she had?"

Marduke thought about it. Victoria had followed her feelings, which lead from a simple schoolgirl crush to a serious case of mutual like to friendship to now…love. Love with Will Stronghold.

Marduke was so jealous of Will he couldn't stand it. He had had Layla's love…though he hadn't treated it like he should have, and he had Warren's friendship…if in a rather "don't let anyone know what good friends we are" kind of way. And to top it off Will wanted to be friends with Marduke as well, even though they'd fought twice in the past two days.

Marduke sighed heavily. Things had been so much easier a few days ago when he had blithely been going about his villain studies, getting ready for graduation and looking forward to the planned "senior sneak"; a quick raid on the San Francisco Mint for all the precious metals stored there with everyone in their new costumes and using their chosen villain names. He had chosen "Basilisk" because of his eyebeams, and had already designed a green costume with gold trim and a gold lined black cape befitting someone using the name of the "king of the serpents" in mythology. Now it all seemed so trivial.

"You are sad about other things," said his mother, drawing his attention back to her.

"They left me…deserted me." Said Marduke, a new pain starting in his heart.

He was referring to his "friends" Drake and Aaron. They had been there for the start of the street fight with Will and his friends, but they had chickened out and fled. Drake had flown away screaming when Magenta had turned into a guinea pig, unknowingly triggering his fear of small furry rodents, and Aaron had fled when his power failed to take the fight out of Warren and a miss with a fireball was enough to convince him to find somewhere else to be. Aaron's cowardice was understandable, but still…neither had tried to contact Marduke since then. Even little Loki had stayed and fought alongside his big brothers…if distracting Magenta and Zach could be considered fighting. In Marduke's book, it did.

"That is a terrible hurt," said Lucretia, "but you must try to contact them. Meet with them and give them a chance to explain themselves."

"And then?"

"Blast them through the nearest wall," snarled Lucretia, a sinister green glow appearing in her eyes, "what they did is intolerable…inexcusable. It MUST be punished."

Marduke understood his mother. Disloyalty was something the Mandragores, for all their flaws, would not tolerate. They had always taken care of their friends, providing safe haven for them when the heat was on, caring for them when they were sick or injured, breaking them out of jail, whatever was needed. How many times had they offered to help their old friend Stitches with his "daughter" over the years, even now occasionally contacting him in prison and saying they would break him and Gwen out if he wanted them to? The last was especially interesting, considering Barnabas seemed to despise Royal Pain for some reason.

"I'm sorry," said Lucretia, calming herself down, "it's just…after all you did for those…minions. Well, I'm sure you will find your new friends will be much better anyway."

"New friends?" asked Marduke.

"Will and the others," smiled Lucretia, "you didn't realize that?"

Marduke shook his head, wondering what his mother was talking about.

"I guess that's something they don't teach you in school," said Lucretia, "so here's a quick explanation so you understand what exactly happened with you and Will and the others yesterday.

"One, you fell in love with a super heroine…well, she will be one day. I must say I'm glad to see you have such excellent taste in women…much like your father." She grinned mischievously at that.

"Two, you ended up in a big team vs. team fight on the streets of Maxville. Granted it was you and your brothers against Will and his friends…and your sister…and I'm sure Loki's little pet counts as he did fight with Warren. Anyway, a good team fight is always a great way to get to know someone. How do you think your father and I know Will's, Warren's and Zach's parents so well?

"Three, once things settled down, you TALKED with the people you fought with. You got to know them, and they you. Now, do you hate any of them?"

"No," said Marduke. He actually liked Will, and his feelings about Layla and Warren had already been covered. He did feel bad for having tried to shoot Zach in the back though, but he had been punished for that when the feedback from Zach's glow had temporarily rendered him blind. His father had explained it was a simple light trick Zach's mother had used with her own similar sidekick power for years, but suggested that Marduke not try it again. He didn't know how he felt about Magenta, though Loki had taken a serious liking to her, and Ethan, but he could guess how Balthazar felt about the little liquid boy.

"Well then," smiled Lucretia, "lesson learned. I just wish you had come down to the dance last night instead of playing "Phantom of the Opera" up here. You missed all the fun."

"I just didn't feel like it," shrugged Marduke, "besides, I couldn't bring myself to see Warren and Layla together. I…I just…I don't know."

"Take your time sorting your feelings," said Lucretia, realizing her son still had a lot of thinking to do, " but do come downstairs and get something to eat. Your father is worried about you."

Marduke smiled and understood. He wondered how the world would react if it ever saw his father, the publicly raving mad scientist and criminal mastermind, as the caring father he knew him to be.

A half hour later Marduke, fresh from a hot shower and wearing a clean t-shirt and jeans, entered the dining hall where his mother had awakened Loki, who was a little refreshed from his catnap and talking incessantly about Magenta this and Magenta that.

"Ah, there he is," smiled Lucretia to Marduke, "I had your favorite cooked up fresh for you. Now sit and eat.

Marduke took his customary spot next to his father, who actually looked up from his paper and smiled at his son without saying a word. None was needed.

Marduke dug into the plate of steaming eggs benedict and fresh blood sausage just as the last two Mandragore children saw fit to make their entrance.

Victoria, dressed in a flowing dark blue gown with her hair loose about her shoulders, and Balthazar, wearing an outfit more appropriate for a biker bar rather than a family breakfast, entered. Both were talking excitedly about their respective night and Balthazar was actually smiling (!). The two sat together and began piling food on their plates like it was going out of style.

"Well now you two," said Lucretia, enjoying the long-missed sight of her second oldest son at the table and acting more appropriate for his young age, "what are you chattering about so?"

"We've been planning our schooling," said Victoria in her matter-of-fact way.

"Really?" said Lucretia, becoming very interested, "do let us in. Are you listening Barnabas?"

Barnabas gave his customary "yes dear" grunt as he looked at his papers.

"Well," said Victoria, "Balth and I have decided we want to challenge some of the freshman classes, then make up the rest in summer school so we can be sophomores in the fall."

"That is interesting," said Lucretia, "are you sure you really want to?"

"Yeah," said Balthazar, "we…we want to be in the same year as Willie…I mean Will and Elise.'

Lucretia could not help but smile.

"Well," she said, "I don't think there will be a problem with that. We'll contact the Head Master first thing in the morning and start getting things arranged. I'm sure he will be accommodating, especially for the children of two of his alumni and the younger siblings of this year's valedictorian." She nodded towards Marduke, who blushed and smiled.

"That's the other thing," said Balthazar, "we don't want to go to H.A.D.E.S."

"We want to go to Sky High!" piped in Victoria.

Everyone in the room froze.

As one the entire family turned to the head of the table to see the newspaper between them and the head of the house begin to shake

There was a slight tearing noise as loud as thunder as the paper began to split down the middle. Finally it was torn in two by the trembling hands of Dr. Mandragore.

Without saying a word he dropped the two halves of the paper and slowly got to his feet.

Everyone knew what was coming, but the anticipation was what always made it better.

No one so much as breathed except Loki, who was suppressing a fit of giggles, as he LOVED when Dad did one of his tirades, and from the three different shades of red and purple his face was changing back and forth to, this was going to be a classic.

Dr. Barnabas Mandragore fixed the two children with a soul-scorching glare that would have made the entire senior class of the just mentioned institution collectively wet themselves. He then drew in a deep breath.

"Are…you…two…INNNNSSSAAAANNNNNEEE?"

Lucretia sat back and let her husband go all out. Loki started giggling non-stop. Marduke, though he had scooted his chair well back out of the line of fire, kept wiping off the spray of his father's spittle like it was foam from a rabid dog. This was a new touch that he liked. Victoria and Balthazar sat with their heads down, trying to look contrite but actually hiding their wide grins as they held hands under the table in a show of sibling support and happiness to all be together.

As Dr. Mandragore went on an almost religious tear about "tradition" and "shaming the family" and other such stuff, only one thought went through the minds of all four of his children.

"We love you too, Dad."

**The End**

No cute black and purple guinea pigs or giant flying octopuses were harmed in the writing of this story.

Remember kids; just say "no" to radioactive steroids

Now go tell someone you love that you do.

Bye.


End file.
